Armored Geass For Answer (R1)
by hawkeyeriku
Summary: The Closed Plan has been completed, but not without sacrifices. Engulfed in a massive Kojima explosion while protecting the Anti-Satellite Batteries from a sneak attack, Strayed will find himself not only alive, but actually stranded on a world similar to his own, yet unlike it at the same time. How will the last surviving member of the fearsome ORCA Brigade fare against an Empire?
1. Chapter 00: Prepare For Answer

Well, this has been going around in my head for way too long already, so I decided it was time it saw the light. As such and without further ado, I give you my first official Code Geass crossover fanfic, with Armored Core for Answer as its partner in the combination. I do warn you that this chapter 00 is ACFA centric, meaning no Lulu here for you to admire, sorry. That'll change soon though, next chapter to be exact, so don't worry.

**Warning**: To anyone who hasn't played Armored Core For Answer, this story will contain a fair amount of spoilers, references and several other relations. As such, if you haven't played that one or its predecessor, Armored Core 4, I recommend having the Armored Core Wiki in hand for some visual/historical help just in case. Or play the game, it's actualy fairly fast to complete as long as you don't get too entangled on NEXT designing like I did on my first two runs. Over half of my playtime was spent on that.

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Code Geass or any of its spin-offs, nor do I own anything related to the Armored Core franchise, unless you count my copy of the Armored Core For Answer game, that I do own. All I own that is shown in this story are Hawk Magnus, the design of his NEXT/s, the K-Filter and the SKAI computer installed in it.

Before we start though, a little insight on how this is going to be written and we'll be ready:

"Spoken words."

_'Thought'_

_"Computer Screen Text"_

* * *

**Chapter 00: Prepare... For Answer**

Strayed pushed his NEXT, named Sky Ruler, to its limit as he maneuvered the mech around Wynne D. Fanchon's Reiterpallasch as they both fought in the Arteria Cranium. Wynne's partner NEXT, My Bliss, was a smoking wreck on the metallic floor below them, and its pilot, Roy Saaland, was already dead. The Brass Maiden, as she was known by other mercenaries and members of Collared, and her NEXT were the only thing left standing between the fulfillment of ORCA's Closed Plan and him. And as the last living member of the brigade, he had a duty and a desire to bring about the end they sought, even at the cost of the Cradles' demise.

"Why are you doing this?!" Wynne's voice roared over the open channel as her back mounted plasma gun fired repeatedly, attempting to hit the agile black and white machine she was facing. "Do you have any idea what these actions will bring?"

"The future, hopefully." Was the reply the ORCA Lynx gave her as he dodged the bluish beam coming from his enemy's ACRUX Hi-Laser Cannon and unleashed a round of his twin back-mounted Hi-Laser Cannons in reply, the bluish beams collided with Reiterpallasch's Primal Armor and melted the metal behind it slightly, but did not deal enough damage to go through the armor. Not that the male Lynx intended for them to do that, he just needed to weaken Reiterpallasch's Kojima Field for his next move to have the desired effect. "Switching to Full-Burst Mode."

_"Full-Burst active."_ Sky Ruler's computer, named SKAI, read as the NEXT's most fearsome function was unleashed. The ability to fire all weapons at once was something no other Armored Core had shown until the Sky Ruler appeared in ORCA's forces and utterly thrashed both Arteria Ulna and Arteria Carpals single-handedly, taking out several high-ranked Collared Lynx in the process.

"Alright then, firing!" Strayed shouted, pressing the triggers.

Two Flash Rockets blinded Wynne long enough for the twin laser beams and the round of bullets from Sky Ruler's rifles hit her dead on, the third Rank of Collared screamed as her Primal Armor overloaded and deactivated due to the strength of the attack

"Sorry, Wynne." The pilot said over the open channel as he transmitted image as well, having taken the shadowed helmet off so as to show himself. "You and I only worked together once, when I was still a rookie, but I appreciate everything you did for me back then. It's a pity it ends like this."

"So it's you, Hawk." GA's Disaster felt her eyes widen in recognition as the face of the nineteen year old brown haired boy with chocolate brown eyes appeared on her screen. He was dressed in a black pilot suit with white lining and a white ORCA Emblem on the shoulders, while his own emblem, a white falcon hovering menacingly in front of three flames, two of them blue and the middle one black, was engraved over the heart. "I still remember thinking you showed promise when you and I brought down Wonderful Body and his goons, but you vanished right after reaching Collared's ninth rank, during Torus' Sol Dios Orbit Arms Fort fiasco… and then the Sky Ruler appeared… in Arteria Ulna." Her eyes widened further as all the pieces fit in place.

"Again, I'm really sorry about this. But humanity cannot go on living oblivious to all else in the clouds while bringing about its own destruction." The Sky Ruler stored the rifles in the leg holsters before activating the Omer laser blades folded on its forearms. "Good bye, Brass Maiden. Out of all of Collared's top ten Lynx, you and Raven were the ones I respected the most."

The black and white NEXT boosted forward, cross-slashing the unmoving Reiterpallasch into four pieces that fell to the ground with a loud clatter. Hawk knew he should be smiling at this victory but he just wasn't, so many sacrifices had been made already, he just couldn't allow himself to enjoy it until he knew everything was over and done, and then he'd pay for bringing about the change of the whole world.

"And you are both dead because of me." He finished with a dry chuckle, looking sadly at the remains. "How ironic can it be?"

"To treasure a life…" Wynne's broken voice reached him over the open channel, along with images of her crying eyes and bleeding face. She was extending her hand towards the ceiling, as if reaching out for one of the Cradles. "Is it really something to laugh at?"

"I'm not laughing, Wynne." Hawk replied, his features hardening as life left the woman's eyes. "I treasure life. If this could have been done with no sacrifices, I would have taken that route without a moment's hesitation, but there wasn't any other way."

The Lynx landed his machine close to the computers that controlled the energy flow and began to redirect them towards their new destination, the one that would bring back mankind's freedom to go out into the depths space and finding a new future there.

"And so, the Cradles will fall, and humanity will find its answer in the infinity of space." Serene Haze, Hawk's operator, summarized as the Arteria Cranium was brought to a standstill, sending the energy to the Anti-Satellite Batteries that Strayed and Neo Nidus had protected from the League's forces, at the cost of the latter's life. "Is that your Answer?"

"It is." Hawk replied, allowing a small smile to form before locking the program so that the flow could not be redirected and ran back to his AC. Once he had strapped himself properly, he opened the communication channel again and contacted his base of operations, not too far from the satellite Batteries themselves. "I'm going back for maintenance and resupply."

"Very well, we'll be waiting for you." Serene replied, only for an alarm to beep over the line. "I'm afraid you'll have to cut this short, Strayed."

"What happened?" Hawk asked, worried because of his operator's tone.

"The League fooled us, they are not going to just stand by and let things work out." She explained hurriedly. "There's an Answerer type Arms Fort, along with several Normals, approaching the Anti-Satellite Batteries, get back here ASAP and wipe them out before they ruin everything. Briefing over."

"That's got to be the shortest briefing of my career." Hawk chuckled dryly as he directed the Sky Ruler out of the Arteria facility, equipping it with a Vanguard Over Boost unit for fast travelling. "The Cradles will start falling soon, tell me they are at least going to send the rescue parties they discussed with Thermidor."

"We can only hope the old fools have not fallen that low." Kasumi spat in anger as she slammed her fist against a wall. "Besides, there's no one left to buy their products if they let them all fall to their deaths."

"Let's hope the idiots running things realize that before it's too late…" Hawk scoffed before turning his attention to his machine's state, deciding to use the flight back to get a good scan before the fight. "I'm not putting much money on that though." He added as he introduced the orders in SKAI.

_"Conducting."_ The computer read before executing its orders as Hawk reminisced about when he had first obtained this gift.

The name SKAI was meant for Support Key Assault Interface, the system it contained played a very important part in the Sky Ruler's prowess in battle. Unlike what one would expect out of a robot show from over a century ago, like the ones both Hawk and Raven enjoyed watching despite how hard it was to come by the episodes in this day and age, it was not some system that downloaded battle data to the pilot's brain or reacted to especial types of brainwaves, it was something much more simple, and it was all Hawk needed.

The computer's function was simply switching between the three different types of hardware the NEXT was equipped with, for close, mid and long range combat, at the pilot's command as well as taking care of radar interference and all sorts of system analysis and data processing. It was also thanks to this piece of equipment that the Sky Ruler was capable of using the Full-Burst Mode, by activating the three targeting devices at the same time and channeling the data to the different weapons.

The Full-Burst System had one limitation though, and it was that it could only work for up to three different types of weapons at the same time, shoulder mounted ones included, which was the reason the Sky Ruler used the same weapons in both left and right sides.

SKAI was one of a kind, designed by the Lynx known as Raven, who was now MIA along with his NEXT White Glint, and had been an additional reward, a show of gratitude from the missing Lynx's operator in light of Strayed's help when he defected the League to help in the protection of Line Ark during White Glint's takedown operation. That chance meeting at the Collared Arena, along with Megalis' defense mission and the battle against Raven himself a few weeks later, with Hawk's switching of sides during that fight, followed by Line Ark's collapse and disbandment, had changed the Lynx far more than any other thing in his life.

"We're not as bad as I thought we would, considering we just took on two of Collared's top ten at the same time." Hawk mused to himself as he went through the analysis data the computer provided and drank some water. He was always extremely thirsty before an important mission so the Sky Ruler always had a five gallon bottle inside. "Laser Cannons are cooling down, but I should be able to use them fully by the time we get there, and there are four cartridges left in each rifle, plus the one inserted, meaning over a hundred and twenty bullets left in each weapon." Satisfied with that, he began going through the damage report.

"No damage to engine, so no risk of losing Primal Armor, flight ability or movement speed anytime soon. There are small bullet holes in the left leg and right arm, and scorched left torso due to a Hi-Laser hit, but it won't be too bad as long as nothing really big gets a direct hit there." The Lynx sighed and focused again on the main camera feed. "I'd say we're good to go, it's not like I haven't fought in worse conditions before."

"Hawk, how long till you get here?" The operator asked over the com, her voice slightly nervous. "They're getting too close for comfort."

"A few minutes, as long as the VOB does not explode on me, like the three I used while in the League's payroll." The Lynx grunted, remembering the three traumatizing experiences in which he almost lost his life due to malfunctioning equipment and stupid lazy mechanics. "Any new units around?"

"None. Wait, one, emitting command signal." Serene corrected as she ran the comparison to get the identity of their surprise guest. "It's a NEXT, Collared's second Rank, Ambient."

"Ever since Thermidor faked his death during White Glint's fall, no one wanted to take the top rank in Collared for one reason or another." Hawk muttered to himself, knowing that both he and Lilium Wolcott could have taken that position if they had wanted it badly enough. "Shall we settle our score from last time, Ambient? Neo Nidus was a good man, and I plan to make you pay for what you did to him. That Master of yours already paid his part that day, but you got away like a cowardly rat."

Thousands of miles away, Lilium Wolcott felt a shiver running down her spine, something she was not used to. She instinctively looked around, as if something could hurt her while inside Ambient, and quickly shook her head and focused on the situation at hand. Her master's death had been ignored by the League, who had ceased all hostilities against ORCA and let them do as they pleased, she wouldn't have it. But unlike Wynne and Roy, she only cared about revenge, and this was the battlefield she yearned for. It was because of these weapons her master lost his life so she was going to destroy them all, and then the Sky Ruler would pay for its crimes, how fortunate it was for that cursed black and white AC to be away at the moment.

"Answerer, proceed with the attack." She commanded just as they reached the combat zone a few moments later, only for her radar to signal enemy incoming. "All units, prepare for…!"

She didn't finish the sentence as an unmanned VOB unit slammed against the Arms Fort, destroying two of its flotation wings, several weapons and part of the internal armor in the resulting explosion. Fortunately, the core and Assault Armor systems were intact. Not a second later, bluish beams and gunfire rained down on the Normals around her as her radar tried to track the enemy, but she didn't need to detect him to know who it was, only four NEXTs other than her own moved that fast and were capable of unleashing so much fire on the enemy at the same time. White Glint, Reiterpallasch, Stasis and the Sky Ruler.

"There you are, Master Wong's killer." She seethed, using her cameras along with the detection systems to track down and get a lock on the red eyed unit. "I'll make you pay for taking my master away."

She had to admit the design was original and incredibly functional from what she had seen during her first attack on the Anti-Satellite Batteries. The Sky Ruler consisted of an Ekhazar head, Soluh's torso, Hogire arms and a copy of White Glint's legs. Armed with shoulder mounted Flash Rockets, twin Sirius Hi-Laser Cannons mounted on the back and dual Rifles in its hands, with two Omer laser blades folded in the arms as auxiliary weaponry, along with something hidden in the auxiliary holsters in the back part of the waist, but no one had ever seen him use it. She was not sure of the inner workings and other equipment, such as the engine and all, but she did not care about that, all she needed to know was that it did not provide for Assault Armor, which was what knocked her out last time, blasted Heavy AC and its Lethaldose Assault Cannon.

"There you are, Ambient." The male Lynx's voice came over an open channel as the last Normal around her went up in flames, leaving only the Answerer and her standing. "I've got a bone to pick with you."

"How amusing, I do too." The woman replied over that same channel as Strayed ran through the ammo data SKAI provided.

_'Five shots left in each Hi-Laser Cannon before they go on forced cool down, and only a cartridge and a half left until the rifles run out of bullets.'_ The Lynx thought to himself as he planned his next move. '_And I have to take out the Answerer and Ambient with just that and the hidden weapons. This is going to be tough.'_

"Well then, care to wait until I've taken out your big toy?" Hawk asked with a chuckle, wanting to rile up the woman.

"Answerer, commence full assault." Lilium ordered, ignoring him, and the Answerer started to advance as Hawk cursed his luck and his opponents at the same time.

"Calm down, you've done this before." Serene told him over their com line, she was running towards the Batteries' defense systems to help out, what was left of Malzel's recruits couldn't man all the weapons after all. "Keep your focus and you'll do fine, the world's fate is in your hands now."

"Way to take the pressure out of a guy." Hawk breathed as he dodged Ambient's blitzkrieg assault and returned fire with the rifles. "I have to take her down before going for the Answerer, otherwise I'll be a sitting duck for her."

With a grunt of approval from his operator, Hawk directed the Sky Ruler into a fast and deadly battle against Ambient. Being both of them fond of the blitzkrieg tactic when taking down powerful opponents, they ran towards each other, moving out of the way at the last moment and unleashing fire on the enemy, sometimes at the exact same time. The battle lasted long this way, but with Hawk being conservative with his ammo, Lilium had an advantage she was exploiting to its fullest.

"Were you away on a mission and did not resupply?" The woman laughed over the open channel. "How very convenient for me."

"Hey, at least Wynne and Roy made me waste more ammo." Strayed countered as he flew around the missiles Ambient was bombarding him with and sent a Flash Rocket towards her, he only had two of them left now. "Even if it did not save them in the end."

"So you took them down?" Lilium gaped for a moment as she quick boosted forward, leaving the Flash Rockets to explode behind her and readying her ACRUX for firing. "You truly are Raven's second coming, Sky Ruler."

"Whatever." Hawk replied, diving towards the ground to avoid the blast before storing the rifles in the holsters he had equipped the Sky Ruler with to avoid discarding usable weapons and activating the Laser Blades in the forearms of his machine. "Let's see you dodge this!"

The Sky Ruler fired both Sirius at the same time, creating a powerful vortex of Hi-Laser power that approached Ambient at incredible speed, the second Rank evaded the blast, only to find four Flash Rockets right in front of her. Strayed had predicted her reaction and planned accordingly. The woman cried out as the rockets exploded in front of her cameras and she was blinded momentarily, but that was all Hawk needed. The Sky Ruler approached at full speed, with both Omer laser blades active, and slashed continuously at Ambient until the Primal Armor gave in under the pressure.

"That was for Neo's sacrifice." The male Lynx muttered as he slashed off Ambient's arms and legs before plunging both laser blades into the cockpit, killing Lilium instantly. "Goodbye, second Rank of Collared."

"Strayed, the Answerer has reached the first Battery, get back here fast and stop it before it blows us all to kingdom come!" Serene's voice boomed through the com line, reminding Hawk that there was still much to be done.

"On my way, keep firing the cannons against it, it will slow it down… hopefully." Hawk stated as SKAI updated the ammo check while on the move.

"Understood, we're counting on you." The operator replied as the communication was cut.

"Alright, big guy, I've already got my Answer so I have nothing for you to reply at." Hawk joked dryly as he pushed the Sky Ruler into Over Boost, reaching the massive Kojima Arms Fort in seconds and noticing how the Primal Armor started to fail the closer he got. "I should have known it would happen again, this thing is just too much to handle like usual."

"The readings are off the charts, like last time. You need to take it down fast." Serene told the Lynx over the com as she fired at the massive flying Arms Fort. "Luckily, it's got one foot in the grave already thanks to that trick of yours with the VOB unit."

"I get some really crazy ideas from time to time." Hawk told himself as he dodged a missile barrage and sliced apart one of the four Antennae's that topped the Answerer in order to cut off the additional energy supply. He soon moved to the other three, cutting them off as another missile barrage was fired. He evaded most of it, but a couple missiles grazed the NEXT and exploded, although they didn't do much damage. "I have to take care of those now."

Deploying the Sirius Cannons, Hawk fired the last three shots he had left, forcing the weapons to cool down as the missile pods went up in flames. Knowing due to experience that time was almost up, Hawk directed the Sky Ruler away from the Arms Fort just as blinding green light gathered in its core and exploded outwards, taking out the cannons that protected the first Anti-Satellite Battery and scorching the massive cannon itself. Another attack like that and it was over, the Cosed Plan would fail if the Answerer managed to get another Assault Armor off before the Batteries fired.

"I've got to take this thing down before it ruins everything." Strayed growled as he sped towards the fortress again, slicing off flotation wings. He knew that getting close to the core was suicidal at this point. "SKAI, how long until they fire the next Assault Armor?"

_"Two minutes."_ The computer replied on its screen under the main camera and by the radar.

"Tsk. Not enough to deal significant damage by simply attacking the outer shell." Hawk muttered angrily as he made his choice. "I have no other way to do this than go on a suicide charge and pray that the first part of the tactic's name is not hundred percent accurate."

"Strayed, good luck." Serene told him over the com as he pushed the engine to max, she sounded in deep pain. "Although I'm afraid I won't be able to see if you will triumph or not. You were truly my most promising student, I am proud of what you've become, Hawk Magnus." She took a deep breath and smiled. "Look at you, kid. You were only a scared little boy when Rosenthal brought you in, and now you are the most powerful Lynx on the planet."

"Thanks, Kasumi, it was because of you and so many others that I managed to come this far." Hawk replied in a solemn tone, using his Operator's real name before she breathed her last. She had been firing one of the cannons when the Assault Armor went off and surviving long enough to relay those last words to her Lynx was all she could do. "Let's put this thing in the scrap pit it belongs to!" He shouted as tears ran down his face.

The Sky Ruler boosted forward, straight into the Answerer's inner section, dodging Hi-Laser fire as it approached the core and sliced layer after layer of spiked armor until he had opened a way to the engine just as it started glowing bright green, ready to unleash the Assault Armor.

"No, you don't!" Strayed shouted, plunging both blades into the core just as the Sirius came out of forced cool down, ready for one last shot. "Thanks, SKAI." Hawk whispered, knowing it was the computer who had stopped the forced cool down system for him when he needed it the most.

_"You're welcome."_ The screen read as Hawk unleashed the blast at point blank range at the same time that the Anti-Satellite Batteries finally fired upwards, ridding the upper atmosphere of the Assault Cells and clearing the way to space once and for all.

"Looks like mission accomplished." Hawk muttered to himself as the Answerer's core went critical and exploded, unleashing the Assault Armor at the same time. The combined force of the impact knocked Hawk unconscious as the massive blast engulfed the Anti-Satellite Batteries as well. The black and white NEXT vanished within the explosion, never to be heard of on that world again except in the legends of its power, comparable to the mythical White Glint's.

* * *

And with that, the Super Robot Anime Plot Device known as Massive Reality Disrupting Explosion has been used and it has just dropped Hawk onto an unsuspecting world, how nice. He'll be meeting Lelouch next chapter, until then, he's unconscious.

Expect next chapter tomorrow, along with Eternal Hawk's if all goes well. I'll await your Answers... I mean Reviews.

Also, don't flame. You wouldn't want the Sky Ruler to fall elsewhere, right? It weighs a few tonnes, literally.


	2. Chapter 01: The Day the Devil is Born

Well, here's Chapter 01. Don't expect too much to change from the first Code Geass chapter though, that's for later.

Thanks for reading, following, favoriting and/or reviewing.

To the reviewers:

**Criticanon**: And I thank you for the praise. Also, thanks for the warning, that's exactly the reason I chose Code Geass for this, it's an anime that doesn't entirely rely on how powerful your robot is since there's a lot going on that's not related to that. The SKAI computer was an idea that came to me because I was always a bit frustrated at having to constantly change weapons, so that was my solution. Another similar solutions are the holsters for the rifles, to avoid discarding usable weapons in exchange of swords, and the fact that the Sky Ruler has those swords already attached to the arms, leaving the auxiliary holsters free to store something, Lare handguns in this case

I have a good reason not to send him after Emperor Chuck from the get go, it simply wouldn't accomplish anything. It would only result in lots and lots of wars because of the many descendants the guy has, so I believe an ORCA Path Strayed wouldn't do it, not if he doesn't have a way to avoid the war part. He fought for humanity, doing that would condemm this world's humanity to God knows how much suffering, even worse than what they're already going through. That doesn't mean he won't want to do just that on more than a few occasions.

**Matchstick800**: Then here you have it, more for you. I know there's a serious lack of Armored Core Fanfiction, it surprised me when I first found out about that. Here's hoping this story will make it to the spot where those rare AC good fics are.

* * *

**Warning**: To anyone who hasn't played Armored Core For Answer, this story will contain a fair amount of spoilers, references and several other relations. As such, if you haven't played that one or its predecessor, Armored Core 4, I recommend having the Armored Core Wiki in hand for some visual/historical help just in case. Or play the game, it's actualy fairly fast to complete as long as you don't get too entangled on NEXT designing like I did on my first two runs. Over half of my playtime was spent on that.

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Code Geass or any of its spin-offs, nor do I own anything related to the Armored Core franchise, unless you count my copy of the Armored Core For Answer game, that I do own. All I own that is shown in this story are Hawk Magnus, the design of his NEXT/s, the K-Filter and the SKAI computer installed in it.

* * *

**Chapter 01: The Day the Devil is Born**

Hawk stirred before waking up inside the Sky Ruler's cockpit. For a second he looked around, not really aware of his situation, and then the memories of the last few moments before the loss of consciousness came back to him. Taking down Ambient and her troops, Kasumi's death and the Batteries firing, fulfilling their purpose not a second before the Answerer went critical and he was engulfed in the combined blast of the core's explosion and the Assault Armor being unleashed. How in the world was he still alive?

"Unless NEXTs follow their Lynx to the afterlife, I have no idea what to think of this." He chuckled dryly, going for his bottle of water and drinking until he was sated. "SKAI, are you functional?"

_"Yes, Strayed."_ The screen read in reply, and Hawk smiled for about a second.

"Any ideas about where we are and how we got here?" The ORCA Lynx asked as he tried to get the cameras back online.

_"Wireless network detected, unlike any found to date. Accessing."_ SKAI replied as several dots decorated its screen, followed by the data flow.

"It's been easier than usual." Hawk muttered to himself with a raised eyebrow as the computer did its job. "So, where are we?"

The computer did not reply, instead it opened a folder in itself, the one related to Kojima Energy theories, indicating wherever they were had something to do with that. The one problem for Hawk was that the one theory that was highlighted by the computer was the one related to the existence of alternate earths, and the possibility of reaching said places by causing a massive concentration of Kojima energy, which according to the reports tended to end up in a massive explosion. The fact that the situation he had been through recently was so similar to the one explained in the theory was not helping the pilot's sanity in the least.

"Please, tell me Raven programmed you to be able to joke around." Hawk muttered weakly as his eyes widened.

_ "Error 05, Joke not found."_ The computer replied simply to the Lynx's dismay, Raven had a weird sense of humor if he had programmed that particular error. "_This place we're in is on the surface. As is the rest of civilization, no registries of Cradles found."_

"I can't believe that of all the stupid theories around, that particular one was true." The last member of ORCA sighed as he palmed his face. "Let me access the data about the place we're in, I need to know as much as I can before I go out there."

_"Understood. Access granted."_ The computer read in reply to the his request.

"Only one more thing to know then." Hawk muttered as he finally managed to activate the NEXT's cameras while he brought up the first archive in the folder for reading. "Where did we land?"

The Sky Ruler had landed on its feet for some highly improbable divine blessing, meaning that there was no damage to the back-mounted weapons due to landing on them, thankfully. The NEXT was now standing inside a ruined building, apparently with no electricity around. There were several holes in the building's walls and ceiling, along with the rather huge one that the machine's arrival had caused.

A few hours later, the Lynx had finished reading through all the data he had stored in the computer and was quite disgusted at this Holy Empire of Britannia. The Numbers and Areas reminded him way too much of the things he had witnessed, and even unwillingly encouraged, while in the League's payroll combined with some of Old King's nasty habits, he was so glad to have killed that guy before he destroyed a thousand million lives when he and his drones attacked the Cradles without permission.

According to the data, he was in the town of Tokyo, which was under Britannia's control since seven years prior due to Britannia's invasion, and divided in two halves. The Ghetto and the Settlement, where Elevens and Britannians lived respectively. There was no need to say that the division favored the victors while the Elevens lived in poverty and in mostly ruined buildings.

"Is the Sky Ruler really immune to their detection systems?" Hawk asked the computer as he changed into civilian clothes. Ever since that date with May Greenfield he had made sure to always carry some clothing inside the NEXT just in case. Taking a girl out in a pilot suit was not exactly the best idea and he did not need a repeat of that experience anytime soon.

_"So long as the K-Filter remains undamaged, detection through long range radars is impossible."_ SKAI replied, making Hawk thank the late Thermidor for his actions when he and the rest of Line Ark's remains joined his ORCA Brigade.

The K-Filter was something all ORCA NEXTs had been equipped with, making it so the Kojima Particles would not be as contaminating as the League's. The good thing was that it also upped the performance of the engine itself, as less contamination meant more particle release and more energy for the ACs to work with. It had also been one of Raven's latest designs, although the League had ignored it due to how costly it was, but Thermidor had not been so reluctant to use it in his crusade, to show that what they were doing had a meaning.

"I'm going out to see this place with my own eyes. Run a full system check in the meantime. Weapons, hardware, software, everything. Make whatever repairs and energy redirections you can to make sure everything's as good as it can be by the time I'm back." Hawk commanded as he opened the cockpit after moving the Sky Ruler to a less visible hiding spot within the building and making the NEXT kneel so as to be less conspicuous, eager to explore a world in which humans actually lived on the non-polluted surface.

_"Understood."_ The computer replied before going about its duty.

Dressed in black pants and shirt with a brown leather jacket over it that had his Lynx emblem engraved over the heart and ORCA's on the back, Hawk got out of the building and started to walk towards the Settlement. He had hacked the Britannian database to add himself as the sole remaining member of the Magnus noble family, it hadn't been too difficult since Rosenthal's security was tenths of times harder to crack than this and he had already done that on a regular basis without leaving any trace. He had also transferred said noble family's capital to his name and made an arrangement to meet with a man named Lord Ashford at Ashford Academy. The man in question had several houses on sale and one of them had a special feature the Lynx thought very useful for him and his ten meter tall roommate.

He had also considered enrolling in Ashford while he gathered information and started a new life. Even if he was technically out of College, having graduated early and gotten into his job in both Collared and Rosenthal, he could still pass for a student there, and it would be a lot less suspicious than starting to teach people around his age or older about NEXT mechanics and circuitry, right?

His decision to look for ways of living in the Tokyo Settlement had been motivated by SKAI's estimation that repeating the accident that brought Hawk and the Sky Ruler to this place was impossible regardless of scenario. So the young Lynx could only hope he had done his job well and that everything would run smoothly back in his Earth while he tried to make the most of living in this one, no matter how much he would like to go back and help in the rebuilding operations and whatever followed, even if everyone he knew and cared about was dead.

The ORCA survivor reached his destination and spent some time looking around before a loud explosion was heard. He turned in its direction, one hand in his hidden knife and ready to make a run for the Sky Ruler if it was a threat he could not fight without his NEXT, but he soon relaxed. The explosion had come from one of the large TV screens on the glass skyscrapers. Some of them reminded him of Malzel's precious Big Box, although they weren't as massive as the former GA Headquarters the Brigade had used as base of operations for some time.

"Those filthy Elevens again." One man muttered under his breath as he walked past the teen.

"That trash does not understand that they were meant to be ruled by us Britannians." Another muttered before hitting a nearby hot dog seller in the face. "Isn't that right you filthy Eleven?!"

"But sir, I…" The man started in a pleading tone as his face hit the ground, due to the Britannian man holding him down with his foot. "I'm just a hot dog seller, I have nothing to do with that."

"All of you Elevens are the same, I'm sure the money you get from your job goes straight to those terrorists!" Another man added, kicking the Eleven in the stomach. By that time, Hawk had had enough of it. "How dare an Honorary Britannian like you do such a thing?"

"Are you really as low as to blame the innocent? How much further can you people fall?" Hawk stated, surprising the small crowd as he walked forward, fists clenched and glaring at the two Britannians. "Or maybe it's a bottomless pit."

"What's this, an Eleven lover?" The one holding the seller down mused, looking at him. "Look kid, things are this way, we won, and they lost. It's really simple. The defeated obey the victors, and the strong feed on the weak."

"I see." Hawk replied coldly before running forward an backhanding the man to the ground with a sickening crack before holding his face to the floor the same way he had been holding the Eleven a second ago. "So if I beat you, you obey me, right?"

"You bastard!" The other shouted, trying to punch Hawk from behind, only for the Lynx to duck under the blow and elbow him in the gut, causing the other Britannian to fall, holding his stomach in pain and trying not to hurl.

"Are you alright?" The teen asked the Eleven, who was looking at him with a mixture of awe and fear in his eyes. "Good, get out of here." The Honorary Britannian nodded and stood, going back to behind his counter after a nod of thanks. "Now then, what to do with you?" He mused, putting more pressure on his foot.

"Stop! Please!" The Britannian cried out in pain as the giant TVs attached to the buildings started projecting images of the damaged building right before they were interrupted by Britannia's flag. The crowd soon switched their attention to the message coming from some Prince Clovis, and Hawk decided to let go of the guy he was stomping, who ran away almost in tears followed by the other one.

"Thank you very much." The seller told him, offering him a hot dog. "It's on the house."

"You're welcome." Hawk replied, taking the free meal just as his stomach growled. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine, Sir, thank you for your help." The man replied with a small smile. "Although I fear your actions may have put you in the Purists' line of sight."

"The Purists?" The Lynx asked after taking a bite.

"Oh my, you must not be Britannian then. European, perhaps?" The seller asked as he started closing shop. "On a vacation?"

"Yeah, something like that." Hawk replied simply, not wanting to go into details now. "What are this Purists then?"

"A Britannian organization, so to speak. They believe that only Britannians should be around in the Settlement and work here, among other things. Your actions today showed that you are contrary to their beliefs and I'm sure the men you beat today are two of their members." The man explained as he started dismantling his shop until it was ready for movement. "I'll be leaving now, thanks again." He offered Hawk a bottle of water before leaving and the teen took it gladly and walked down the street as the blond Royal on the screen continued his passionate speech. Still, Thermidor was thousands of light years ahead of the guy, so Hawk wasn't really paying any attention to it, it was way too lacking.

"Now, please, join me in a moment of silence for the brave Britannians that died in the line of duty!" The Third Prince pleaded from the screen and the street became silent, except for two male students, dressed in a black uniform lined in golden color. They were getting back to their parked bike while claiming that they were not going to join in on the silence.

"Besides, spilling tears over those people won't bring them back anyway." The raven haired, purple eyed one stated, and Hawk couldn't help but feel attracted to the conversation. After all, he thought the same way.

"That's pretty dark, buddy." The other student, a bluenette with dark grey eyes, told him as he put on the helmet and driving glasses.

"It's a matter of self-satisfaction." The other replied, and then his tone changed to a darker one as he added. "It doesn't matter how hard you try, you can't do it. There's no way to change the world."

"Alone? No, there is not." Hawk said out of reflex, causing the two boys to turn to look at him in surprise. "Oh, sorry, I did not mean to listen in."

"No need to apologize." The black haired one replied with a small smile, and the bluenette nodded. "My name's Lelouch Lamperouge, and this is my friend, Rivalz Cardemonde."

"Hawk Magnus." The Lynx replied, smiling as well, before turning around to leave. "Sorry to interrupt you two, please don't mind me."

"That's a pretty weird name." Rivalz muttered as he noticed the logo on the back of the jacket and thought about how cool it looked.

"I get that a lot." Hawk replied without looking back, having heard him. "Well, have a nice day."

"Wait a moment, please. I'm rather curious about what you said." Lelouch stated before Hawk managed to get too far. "What did you mean when you said it was impossible alone?"

"One person alone cannot make a difference, it's through a group of individuals sharing similar values and ideals that the world can be changed." Hawk stated, looking back at both teens and noticing how Lelouch was truly thinking about his words, which made the ORCA Lynx smile.

"That's pretty deep, man." Rivalz whistled in approval. "Well, Hawk, it was nice meeting you but we'll be late for class if we stay here for much longer. Come on, Lelouch, get your feet back on the ground."

"Oh, right." The other student snapped out of his deep thoughts and got into the sidecar before a thought crossed his mind. "Can we take you somewhere?"

"Actually, is this school you're going to Ashford Academy?" The brown haired Lynx smiled when both teens nodded at his question. "I need to go there as well, you'd do me a great favor if you could take me."

"Sure, new guy, hop on!" Rivalz grinned, pointing to the spot behind him and assuming the guy in front of them was going to apply, he looked their age after all. "Hope you don't mind travelling in a tight spot."

"No complaint whatsoever." Hawk replied with a smile as he caught the helmet Rivalz threw at him.

The bike carrying the three of them was all on its own on the highway leading to Ashford, Lelouch had taken out a book and was reading through it with a bored expression on his face while Hawk was taking in the scenery of the Settlement and comparing to what he had seen in the Ghetto, finding the situation more outrageous by the second. He was not surprised there were terrorists around, oppression in this scale always caused those things.

"By the way, Lelouch." Rivalz started, catching both teen's attention. "Why did you start with the King in that chess match?"

"Chess match?" Hawk wondered aloud.

"I usually gamble with nobles in order to get some extra money home, nothing too big." Lelouch explained in a dismissive tone. "As for my reasons, answer me this Rivalz. If the King does not lead, how are his subordinates to follow?"

"What's up with that?" Rivalz asked, not understanding the meaning behind Lelouch's words as Hawk started thinking that, if Lelouch ever got into military, he'd be an excellent commander wherever beliefs were concerned. "Are you planning to run a company or something when you graduate?"

Before Lelouch could reply to that question, loud honks were heard behind them as a massive green truck came up to them. Rivalz accelerated out of fear as Hawk got a good look at the front of the vehicle. There were two in the cabin of the truck, a woman with light red hair and the driver, a man with long black hair. The man seemed anxious and turned the wheel to avoid them, only to run into a dead end and crash against a building in construction.

"Was that our fault?" Rivalz asked nervously as they came to a stop.

"I don't think so." Lelouch replied as Hawk got off the bike and ran towards the truck without a word, leaving the helmet on the bike.

"What's gotten up his butt?" Rivalz wondered as a loud bang came from the bike. "And now the battery dies on us!" He whined as Lelouch tracked Hawk's movements while the Lynx approached the car, noticing they were not a civilian's at all, but those of a trained soldier.

"Whoa, nasty crash!" One bystander said as he took a picture of the scene.

"It's always some moron, isn't it?" A woman laughed as she eyed the scene curiously.

"Maybe someone should help, you know, besides that guy in black down there." A third one suggested while nodding towards Hawk, not that anyone around him made the move or was willing to.

"Such a bunch of idiots." Lelouch muttered under his breath before running after the guy they had decided to take to the Academy.

"Is everyone alright in there?!" Hawk shouted as he banged the windows, the airbag had activated but both man and woman seemed unconscious.

"How is it?" Lelouch asked as the crowd cheered for the student rescue team, getting on both teenager's nerves and causing them to glare upwards at the bunch of fools.

"They're out cold and the doors are locked." The Lynx replied before looking at an iron structure on the side of the truck that resembled a ladder. "We'll have to get in through that opening in the ceiling."

"Let's go then." The black haired student nodded and started climbing up, followed by the Lynx. "Can any of you hear me?!"

"It's you, I finally found my…" An ethereal voice surprised them both just as the truck started moving backwards, causing them to fall inside through the opening. Hawk landed on his feet while Lelouch managed to roll with the fall so it wouldn't hurt.

"Does that count as a hit and run?" Rivalz asked himself as he pushed the bike forward, deciding that those two could take care of themselves, he had other things to do, namely repairing his beloved bike.

"And we're stuck." Hawk growled as he scanned the inside of the truck, noticing the big, red round mechanism stored along with them, probably a bomb of some sort. He decided not to say anything so as not to freak out the student with him even more than he already was.

"You'd think they'd put a ladder on the inside as well." Lelouch grunted, looking over the walls for any sign of a way out. "What now?"

"Well, we can…" Hawk started, but was cut off by a voice from the outside.

"Stop the vehicle!" A soldier ordered over the megaphone. "Surrender now and you'll have a chance to defend yourself in court!"

"Oh, great." Lelouch cursed as the helicopters following the truck opened fire. "Of all the things to happen now."

"If we try to jump out of the truck we won't come out of it unscathed." Hawk muttered, analyzing their options as the door to the cabin started to open. Both teenagers hid in the shadows behind the red device, as they looked at the red headed girl, close to Lelouch's age if Hawk's eyes were not deceiving him.

"Can you enter the subway via the Azabu route?" The girl asked as she walked towards another red bulk, and Hawk nearly face-palmed at not noticing the robot stored there, right behind where they had landed.

"Kallen, let's use it here, why not?" A man, probably the driver, asked through a communication device that the red head had in her coat, the one she was taking out just now.

"Because that would mean a bloodbath!" She shouted in reply as Lelouch's eyes widened slightly in recognition, feeling he had seen the girl before.

_'At least she has standards for a terrorist.' _Hawk thought to himself as the back of the truck opened slightly and the mech fired some sort of anchor at one of the helicopters, destroying it. Hawk recognized it as the Slash Harken he had read about in SKAI's files, meaning that robot was a Knightmare Frame, although a pretty old one if the sounds the joints were making were anything to go by.

"You bastards know full well what this badass mother can do!" Kallen roared as she jumped out of the truck, the doors closing behind her as she engaged the enemy, only for a Sutherland to land in front of her.

"I don't know what grave you dug that relic from. But an outdated Glasgow, piloted by a filthy Eleven, is no match for me and my Sutherland." A confident voice boomed outside, probably engaging the terrorist girl as Hawk let go of Lelouch, who had been about to try to get out of the truck when the doors opened.

"Why did you stop me?!" He shouted angrily. "These guys are real terrorists, we have to get out of here!"

"Jumping into a battlefield head on like that would have killed you." Hawk stated coldly. "If you want to keep on living, trust me on that one."

"Who are you exactly?" The black haired student asked, looking at the Lynx in the eye. "The way you moved when coming to these people's rescue was like that of a trained soldier, as is the way you're acting now."

"I'm a mercenary." Hawk replied before smiling slightly. "A former one anyway. A lot of things happened and I have no job now, I got here today and I wanted to check the place out since I was going to stay for a long time, we met while I was on the way to prepare my new life. Nothing much."

"Informing, yet not providing details on whatever you were involved in." Lelouch muttered in a hushed tone as the sounds of gunfire impacting against the truck were heard before everything went black, indicating they had entered some sort of tunnel. The black haired teen brought out his phone as he spoke. "Regardless, we're in a pretty bad situation. And we're out of range, so cellphones won't work."

"Where exactly do you think we are? I just moved in today so I wouldn't know." Hawk asked, he could get an idea by looking at the exterior, but that was simply impossible at this point.

"Judging from the darkness and road surface we must be travelling through the old subway lines." Lelouch replied, his brain calculating all possibilities before reaching a conclusion. "No choice then."

"In what?" Hawk looked on as this boy he had met today took the communication device from the coat the terrorist girl had discarded a few minutes before.

"I'm not too big on the military, but their protection is all we can count on." The black haired teen explained, showing Hawk the item in question. "If we give them this terrorist communicator… Oh, right… I forgot."

"I won't pry, but I'll guess that's out of the question as well." The Lynx stated, getting a grateful nod in reply from the teen. "Well then, let's think of another way out."

A long while passed as both of them sat inside the truck, not really managing to think about anything that would get them out of the pinch they were in.

"Aren't you going to tell stories of your great battles?" Lelouch asked in a slightly mocking tone, no offence intended of course. "I sure could use a good tale to keep me from a nervous breakdown."

"Unfortunately, you wouldn't believe any of what I told you." The Lynx replied with a chuckle as the truck came to a rather abrupt stop.

"An accident?" Lelouch wondered, standing up at the same time as Hawk.

"No, it sounded more like the tires getting stuck." The other teenager replied just as the door by their side opened.

Inside that same tunnel, Suzaku Kururugi, an Eleven part of the Honorary Britannian Military program, was searching through the tunnels as ordered by his superiors. He immediately noticed the truck and the target he had been sent to recover inside it and sent the signal to his commander right before his mechanical goggles detected the presence of two people inside. Assuming they were terrorists, the son of the late Japanese Prime Minister dashed forward and spin kicked the brown haired one, who barely managed to block the strike with his arm and was pushed to the ground by Suzaku's weight while the soldier pointed his gun at the black haired terrorist whose face was shadowed by the walls of the truck.

"That's enough mindless murder, you terrorists!" He shouted, holding the one he had kicked by the neck to prevent any attempt to strike back.

"Wait, we're not…" The one still standing started, but the Honorary Britannian did not let him continue.

"Planning to use poison gas, don't play dumb with me!" Suzaku interrupted, astonished at the nerve of these two.

"Get off me!" The brown haired one shouted, throwing a fast punch and hitting Suzaku hard enough for him to let go of the terrorist and jump back.

"Besides, if this is really poison gas it was made by Britannia, wasn't it?" Suzaku's eyes widened in recognition as the black haired one came into view while speaking and he got a good look at his face. "Mindless murder? Wipe Britannia off the map and that's when such a thing will stop for good!"

"Lelouch?!" Suzaku asked, taking off his goggles and helmet, revealing a seventeen year old teenager with brown hair and green eyes. "It's me."

"Suzaku?!" The student asked in surprise.

"Wait, you two know each other?" The other teenager in the truck asked, and they nodded. "Name's Hawk. By the way, nice kick." He added, rubbing his sore arm, the one he had used to block it. This guy could give Johnny Kamisori a run for his money in a fight if he moved like that all the time, and he was only a rookie soldier from the looks of it, not to mention the spitting image of the guy as well.

"Thanks… I guess." Suzaku sweated before focusing on Lelouch again. "Lelouch, I thought…"

"Are you in the Military?" Lelouch interrupted with slight anger in his tone. "You became a Britannian soldier."

"Yeah, please don't tell me you…" Suzaku started again but was promptly cut off.

"Of course not!" The black haired teen replied before the question was finished. "Neither is he, by the way. We just got caught up in all this for trying to help the people in this truck after an accident in the Settlement, we had no idea who they were."

"Regardless, now that you're here…" A loud hiss interrupted whatever Hawk was about to say and both him and Suzaku tackled Lelouch to the ground, expecting the poison gas to come out of the device as they held their breath.

Gas did come out, alright, but none of them was expecting a green haired, amber eyed woman bound in a white straightjacket to be inside the device, surrounded by an orb of bright golden light.

"That's not poison gas." Suzaku muttered to himself as the girl fell to the ground and Lelouch, showing unusual agility for him, moved to catch her before she hit the ground.

"To think that with two trained soldiers around, I'd be the one to help her out." Lelouch chuckled to himself.

"You're a soldier?" Suzaku asked Hawk as they brought the girl out of the truck and laid her on the ground.

"Former mercenary." The Lynx replied, knowing he wasn't hiding that from the other boy anyway. "I seriously suck at this. I just got here today and two people already know."

"Now tell me, Suzaku. Poison gas, this girl?" Lelouch asked diverting the attention to the unconscious woman. "I find that rather hard to believe."

"It's what we were told in the briefing, I know nothing more." Lelouch's old friend replied as he and Hawk helped in unbinding the girl.

"Briefings can be quite deceitful at times." Hawk muttered, remembering his own experiences in the matter as he remembered how many of his own briefings had lacked relevant information, like the one about the Cabracan Arms Fort and its autonomous drones. When they were almost done with the binds, a bright light came from behind them, making them look towards its source.

"Stinking monkey!" A scarred, blue haired man dressed in military commanding uniform spat, he was standing in front of eight soldiers clad in the same grey uniform Suzaku wore and armed with assault rifles, there were also two vehicles carrying searchlights. "Even if you're an Honorary Britannian, this is inexcusable!"

"But, Sir, I was told this was poison gas!" The Eleven said as he run up to his superior officer, wanting an explanation.

"Still, in light of your findings, I'll be lenient." The commander continued, ignoring Suzaku's words. "Take your gun and execute the terrorists."

"But they're not terrorists." Suzaku replied, he had believed Hawk's statement of being a former mercenary so he didn't want to jeopardize him if he intended to lead a new life, had he and Lelouch not done the same thing anyway? "They just got caught up in all this when the truck crashed in the Settlement."

"You insolent little primate." The commander glared. "Did you not swear loyalty to Britannia?"

"I won't kill civilians, Sir." Suzaku stated firmly, turning to look at Lelouch's scared face and Hawk's widening eyes. "It's my decision."

"Suzaku, move!" Hawk shouted just as the boy felt a gun being pointed to his gut from behind.

"Then die." The commander fired and Suzaku fell flat on the ground, unmoving, with the look of shock engraved in his features.

"Suzaku!" Lelouch cried his friend's name as the commander shouted in pain, having his right shoulder pierced by Hawk's combat knife.

"You insolent pests!" The commander roared as the Lynx retrieved the knife thanks to the cord he had attached to it. "Kill them and secure the girl!"

"What I would give for my gun in this situation." The Lynx muttered in rage just before the truck behind them went up in an explosion with a cry of "Long live Japan!". Releasing a great amount of dust and smoke that they could use as cover and distracting the soldiers. "Move, Lelouch!"

"Right!" The student snapped out of it and ran into the tunnels with the girl close behind, following Hawk's voice.

Outside the Ghetto, Prince Clovis was distressed as he sat inside the command center. He knew that if his Father found out about the investigations he had been conducting he'd be in deep trouble. They needed to get that girl back fast, and nothing they were doing was producing the necessary result, which left him one choice.

"If Father hears about this I'll be disinherited." The Third Prince muttered to himself. "Inform the Mainland that we'll be carrying out the urban renewal of Shinjuku." Once one of his advisors had gone to comply with the order, the Prince stood and commanded authoritatively. "I, Clovis La Britannia, Third Prince of the Empire and Viceroy of Area 11 command you… Destroy Shinjuku Ghetto, leave no one alive!"

"Yes, My Lord!" All soldiers replied with enthusiasm and the knights manned their machines, ready to bring hell to the Ghetto.

Explosions, death and carnage covered the Ghetto in barely any time at all. The Britannian forces moved swiftly, killing everything that moved in cold blood and moving to the next target with almost machine like efficiency. Inside the underground tunnels, Hawk, Lelouch and the girl moved as fast as they could, but constantly hearing the explosions and shots was really getting to the black haired teen.

"You, what the hell are you?" He asked the green haired woman just before she tripped and fell to the ground. Hawk also came to a stop at his words, or more specifically, the traumatized tone in which they were being said. "All this chaos… is because of you isn't it. Because of you… Britannia… Killed Suzaku."

"Get back to reality." Hawk slapped the boy hard. "Look, I know what you're feeling, more than you'll ever believe. But if you snap here and now, your friend will have died for nothing."

Lelouch glared at the Lynx but soon nodded, knowing he was right. He just needed to take revenge for Suzaku as well when he obliterated that damn country, it was one more thing his father had to pay for. The black haired teen stood up and helped the green haired girl up as well.

"Let's move." Hawk said, walking forward, and both nodded. The group advanced, trying to ignore screams and explosions as they did.

A few minutes later, they reached the end of the long passage they were using and came out close to some stairs. The three of them pressed their bodies against the ground and moved on all fours up the stairs with Hawk in the lead. The Lynx looked out of their little hideout just as a shot was heard and a man cried out in pain before falling on the floor, dead.

"Are you sure those tunnels lead here?" The same commander that Hawk had injured asked, he had his right arm in a cast and bandaged up due to the knife wound. "We don't want to lose them."

"According to our map of the old city, this is the only exit available." One of the soldiers replied while Lelouch came up to Hawk and looked out as well. Both teens and military were surprised by the cries of a baby among all the dead bodies, it was soon silenced via rapid fire from a machinegun.

"Mindless murder indeed." Hawk muttered silently before his eyes widened, recognizing the place they were in. He could only hope no one had seen the Sky Ruler, although it was well hidden so he shouldn't worry too much about that, he should worry about the two other people with him.

"Those bastards…" Lelouch glared before his eyes widened at the sound of his phone. Of all the times to be back in call range it just had to happen now!

In a matter of seconds, the three escapees had nine guns trained upon them. The girl was separated from them by two of the soldiers while Hawk was being held by another two of the men and beaten up by a third. All this while Lelouch was back handed against the wall by the commander himself.

"You two did quite well, but that's to be expected of Britannians after all." The scarred man started as he trained his gun on Lelouch's head. "A pity it ends this way, boys. But your future is over and done."

Just as the man fired, the girl freed herself from her captor and jumped in front of Lelouch, literally taking the bullet for the boy under the astonished gaze of everyone around her. After a cry of "He mustn't die!" The bullet pierced her front and she fell on the floor, unmoving and not breathing any longer as a small puddle of blood formed below her.

"We were supposed to bring her back alive, but well." The commander stated, shrugging as Lelouch kneeled by the girl's body, eyes widened and revealing great fear as he looked at the deceased's face. "We'll tell our superiors that by the time we got to her she was tortured and killed by the terrorists. Of course, we disposed of every single one of them. What do you two think?"

"Personally, I think you people don't deserve a spot in this world." Hawk seethed, glaring at the commander before he was punched in the gut by one of the soldiers and then promptly knocked out.

"What about you, school boy?" The commander asked with a malicious grin as Lelouch's brain went into overdrive.

_'Why is this happening? Suzaku… This girl… Hawk will follow soon too.'_ He thought as fear engulfed his soul and he despaired. _'Is this the end for me? Without being able to do anything with my life? It was all gone in a heartbeat! Nunnally!'_

Unnoticed by anyone else, the girl's hand moved and grabbed Lelouch's wrist, sending the boy into his own mindscape as she spoke to him there. Having decided it was time to make a contract again.

"You don't want it to end here, do you? You appear to have a reason for living." She said as Lelouch looked around inside the mindscape, wondering whose voice it was that he was hearing. "If I grant you power, would you go on? I propose a deal."

"A deal?" Lelouch muttered.

"In exchange for granting my wish, I'll grant you a power you have never dreamed of." The girl's voice continued, amusement laced in her tone. "Accept this contract and you accept its conditions. While living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time, a different fate…" Lelouch's mind was bombarded with various images as the voice continued to speak. "The Power of the King will condemn you to a life of solitude, are you prepared for that?"

"A reaction from the Ragnarok Connection?!" A male voice Lelouch recognized all too well boomed as he was shown the broad back of a tall man with white hair inside what looked like an ancient temple. "So the myth is beginning once again?!"

"Yes! I accept the terms of your contract!" Lelouch replied to the woman's question, being sent back to the real world a second later, with a new power in his hands.

"Come on, schoolboy. Tell me what you think." The commander ordered as Lelouch stood, hiding his left eye from view with his hand.

"Tell me, how should a Britannian who detests his country live his life?" Lelouch's tone would have surprised Hawk hd the Lynx been conscious, it was not the one people in his situation would usually voice, but a calm, calculating one that sent chills down people's spines. Ignoring the questions about him being a radical, Lelouch continued as the soldiers backed in fear, walking away from the unconscious mercenary in the process. "Come on, why not shoot? The one standing before you is just a student, isn't he?"

The Britannian soldiers did not know what to do, neither did they know what exactly it was that made them so afraid of this schoolboy. But before any of them reacted, Lelouch continued speaking.

"Or have you finally realized…" The black haired teen concluded, smiling confidently. "That the only ones who should kill… are those who are prepared to be killed!" Lelouch uncovered his eye, revealing a crimson, bird like pattern in it before he followed up with his little speech. "Lelouch Vi Britannia commands you… Die!"

From the soldiers' point of view, the crimson bird flew out of the kid's eye and entered their own. The men stopped at the same time as the exiled Prince's command was engraved into their brains and a second later they all grinned like crazy as they began pointing their weapons to their own necks.

"Happily, Your Highness!" The commander cooed before he and all of the soldiers committed suicide in front of Hawk's astonished eyes, the Lynx had just been out for a few seconds and did not need a moment to know something was really wrong with these people. Some blood splattered on Lelouch's face, making the boy look confused.

"Ever since that day, I lived a lie." He muttered, mostly to himself, but Hawk was listening intently. "The lie of living. My name… a lie. My personal history… a lie. Nothing but lies." The raven haired student looked up towards the big hole in the ceiling. "I was sick to death of a world that couldn't be changed. But even in my lies, I refused to give up in despair. And now this incredible power… It's mine." Lelouch turned to look at Hawk, who was eyeing him carefully but showed no sign of hostility. "You said you had no job, right?"

"I did, yes." The Lynx replied, having a faint idea of where this was going.

"Consider yourself hired, Hawk Magnus." Lelouch told him with a grin that could only be classified as evil. "You said yourself that changing the world was impossible alone, would you join me in the effort of bringing Britannia to its knees and bring about that change?"

On any normal circumstance, Hawk would have told the guy to just shut up and follow him, they were getting out of there. But not this time, the look in Lelouch's eyes got him by surprise, the same look Thermidor had. That glint of ambition, of betterment, a passion hidden deep within that could bring about the change of the whole world if used properly to lead. It was only for a moment, but the image of ORCA's leader overlapped Lelouch's own, it did not help that the black haired student looked like a much younger version of the man himself.

"I'd like to discuss terms once we're out of this place, but consider your offer accepted for now." The Lynx replied, following his instinct like so many other times as he eyed the spot where his NEXT was hidden and wondered if it would be functional enough to get both of them out of there. "By the way, while on the job, I'm codename Strayed." He had ultimately decided to file Lelouch's little monologue and the soldiers' behavior away for later. Kicking the Britannians out of the Ghetto was now high in his list of priorities but he wouldn't be able to do that with Lelouch on board, and he still wasn't sure about Sky Ruler's state either.

"Well then…" Lelouch grinned as Hawk kept on thinking, looking towards the door out of the place. "Let's get it started."

* * *

Not much changed from how things happen in canon... yet. R1 is going to remain mostly the same, with only slight changes, until we get halfway through it and the Black Knights and Cornelia start landing blows against each other. I'm also going to skip filler chapters, like the one that consists solely on Lelouch chasing Arthur, the cat, all over Ashford. That can be easily referenced to and be done with it. So no Lynx VS cat for you guys, sorry. I'm also not sure about what to do with Mao, but that will come in due time. And if worst comes to worst, Hawk can simply be away on a mission when it happens and it all goes the same way it did in canon.

Next chapter we're getting to what I like to call Zero's secret debut, and we'll get to see how Strayed and the Sky Ruler fare against a horde of Japanese killing Knightmare Frames, plus the first of many fights against the Lancelot series of Frames. Yes, series, due to my need of competitive people and machines in the Area 11 Britannian Army, Lloyd Asplund won the Lottery the other day. So the A.S.E.E.C. has not only funds for both the Lancelot and Lancelot Club, but the Lancelot Grail and a few spare parts as well. Although the guy, being the way he is, still didn't put an ejection system on the poor Knightmares... *sigh*

To anyone worried about this story just being about Britannia getting its ass kicked by someone else while Lelouch watches and does nothing but laugh evilly, I assure you that's not going to happen. One of the reasons was already listed above, my second reason is that Britannia can always fall back on their true and tried tactic of overwhelming everything with numbers until it cracks, and the other is this: Remember that the Sky Ruler was not the only thing caught in that explosion, where do you think the Answerer's remains fell? There are computers in that thing, and those computers hold a ton of data. No people in there though, it was automated.

And with that, I'll be going. Expect the next chapter in a week or so, I want the fighting to be worth it. It will also depict the interactions between Strayed and his soon-to-be battlefield partners, namely Kallen.

I await your reviews and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Also, on a totally unrelated note, to anyone reading this that follows my FoZ/Kamen Rider story: I'm almost finished with proofreading this week's chapter, all that's left are review replies and it will be posted.


	3. Chapter 02: Black NEXT vs White Knight

Alright, time to show Britannia what happens when an ORCA Lynx and a badass exiled Prince work together on the battlefield. I hope you'll like reading it about as much as I liked writing this. Some things have been changed to better fit Strayed and his NEXT, and Britannia has a few more troops in the Ghetto than in canon to 'compensate' for Hawk's presence, not that it will help them much, mind you.

Thanks to everyone that read, followed, favorited and/or reviewed.

To the reviewers:

**Matchstick800**: It's going to take a while for Britannia to get anything out of it, they haven't even found it yet. And let's remember that those computers are protected, accessing the data is going to take time. Enjoy the chapter.

**Criticanon**: As good an idea as making him useful is, I pretty much hate the guy's guts so I wouldn't really be too inclined towards that. Thanks for the suggestion, but I'll adhere to my impression that a good Mao is a dead one. Still, I'll take a look at those stories you suggested and maybe my opinion on the matter will change.

I agree with you that R1 was pure gold, it's what got me into this kind of anime and I haven't regretted it since. The Lancelot variants are going to play a pretty big role, so look forward to that. The melding of Tech is going to work both ways actually, as there are a few things Knightmare Frames have that Strayed will find useful once he knows of them. Have fun with the chapter.

**Guest**: That last line had me laughing for a good while, I may use something similar one day. Thanks for the praise, and I'll try to keep him in character, this is his story as well after all, Strayed is just co-protagonist here.

And as amusing as seeing a Britannian grandmother piloting a NEXT while asking for her grandson to behave would be, don't worry, I won't be doing that. The closer we'll get to something like that will be by the end of R2, and by that time every Britannian had a Gawain/Lancelot ripoff to pilot in canon, so it would be more or less justified if it happened. But here, on R1, the most you will see will be a few weapons copied and a couple stolen ideas. Those computers in the Answerer are quite hard to crack.

Thanks for the cheers, here's hoping you'll find everything to be as good here as last time.

**RoyalTwinFangs**: I added a picture of the Sky Ruler as the cover for the story, I'll try to get a better one in the next few days since that one seems pretty bad though.

The Float/Air Glide system is one of the things Strayed will be interested in when it's shown. NEXTs use a lot of energy to keep themselves airborne, and even the Sky Ruler, usually being capable of sustaining permanent flight due to its high energy regeneration, would plummet if it fired the laser cannons too much while flying. The Air Glide System would be a much less consuming way to keep the unit on the air and redirect the energy used on that somewhere else. Enjoy the chapter.

**cj1of4**: Nah, you know Lloyd and how he makes his machines. Even the Lancelot Grail, which in canon is a downgraded version for supposedly normal people, is still too difficult to control for anyone not bordering Ace pilot skill. Remember that it took them _a year_ to make a prototype Vincent that regular people could use.

But don't worry, he'll find those pilots, alright. The Lancelot Club is going to get its usual pilot, Rai from Code Geass: Lost Colors. The Grail will go to someone else, and it will come with a few nasty surprises as well, so no regular Britannians in the ASEEC units I'm afraid, all of them are going to be important to the plot.

* * *

**Warning**: To anyone who hasn't played Armored Core For Answer, this story will contain a fair amount of spoilers, references and several other relations. As such, if you haven't played that one or its predecessor, Armored Core 4, I recommend having the Armored Core Wiki in hand for some visual/historical help just in case. Or play the game, it's actualy fairly fast to complete as long as you don't get too entangled on NEXT designing like I did on my first two runs. Over half of my playtime has been spent on that.

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Code Geass or any of its spin-offs, nor do I own anything related to the Armored Core franchise, unless you count my copy of the Armored Core For Answer game, that I do own. All I own that is shown in this story are Hawk Magnus, the design of his NEXT/s, the K-Filter and the SKAI computer installed in it.

* * *

**Chapter 02: Black NEXT VS White Knight**

A few minutes had passed since Lelouch had ordered the Britannian soldiers to their deaths and the boy was now kneeled by the green haired girl's side, caressing her cold cheek while Hawk had gone to check something in the back of the building.

"I don't understand. What did you want me to do?" Lelouch whispered as he looked at the lifeless body. "Why did you give me this…bizarre power?"

"Lelouch, we're good to go." Hawk said as he came into view from behind a pile of boxes just as a Sutherland landed outside and proceeded to get into the building, crushing part of the entrance and weakening the already thrashed structure further. "Curse my luck, seriously." The Lynx spat as he stood in front of Lelouch, he had been hired as a bodyguard after all.

Inside her Knightmare Frame, Villetta Nu looked at the amount of bodies, scanning for any survivor in order to deal with him, her surprise came as she spotted the uniforms of Prince Clovis' Royal Guard, nine bodies in total and all of them in a pool of their own blood, lying in front of two boys who probably weren't of age yet. One of them was wearing the Ashford Academy uniform, the other was standing protectively in front of the first and dressed in black clothes and a brown jacket, both of them glaring at her as if looks could kill.

"What happened here? Who are you two? And what's a student doing in a place like this?" Villetta fired the questions as one would a gun and the black haired boy walked forward, as if to reply. "Answer me!"

"I order you to come out of your Knightmare… at once!" Lelouch commanded, activating the power he had been granted minutes ago.

"Who do you think you are to order me around?" The woman replied, unleashing a volley from her rifle towards the wall in order to scare them both.

'It didn't work.' Lelouch noted with a bit of worry. 'Was it only a one use trick, or does it only take effect when there's direct eye contact?'

"My name is Alan Spacer, my father's a duke." He explained, making the story up on the spot. "This is my bodyguard, Oskar Hawkins." The Lynx nodded in reply to Lelouch's statement, giving the lie more credibility. "Our ID cards are in our pockets. Once you have confirmed who we are, I'd like to request your protection."

"Nobility, huh?" Villetta muttered to herself as she shut down her frame and opened the hatch. "Some of them have really weird hobbies, so I shouldn't be surprised." She descended from her machine and pointed her gun at both teens, who raised their hands up in the air in reply. "Keep those hands up there, I'll take care of your IDs."

"Very well." Lelouch smiled innocently as the woman approached, only for it to turn into a wicked grin as he continued. "Give me your Knightmare and don't move until we're gone."

"Understood." The black skinned, blue haired woman replied in a trance-like voice as she handed over her Knightmare Frame's USB key. "The code's XG21-G2D4."

"Good move." Hawk complimented as Lelouch walked towards the Sutherland. "Is that how you had the soldiers kill themselves?"

"Aren't you coming? This is our way out after all." Lelouch told him as he reached the ladder, ignoring the question. "Or are you having second thoughts about working for me after seeing me use this power?"

"No, it's nothing like that." The Lynx assured him with a smile, he had seen worse than what Lelouch had done after all, and right now he needed all the help he could get. "It's just that I want to bring an old battlefield partner along, if you don't mind."

"Who would that be?" Lelouch asked, curious as he had not heard anything about that until now.

"It's better to just show you, get in there in the meantime." Hawk laughed cryptically before running behind the same boxes he had gone to once the Royal Guard had been killed, leaving behind a very curious and confused exiled Prince. "Well, we got a job already, SKAI." The Lynx told the computer as he hopped into the cockpit of his NEXT and ran through the system check that had been run in his absence.

"Primal Armor, Over Boost and sustained flight capabilities not available, that's going to be tough. But from what I've seen of this world's machines, not too much. Rifles in the red, I'll have to use ammo sparingly, and Sirius at full capacity and ready for some business. Flash Rockets empty, laser blades and Lare handguns functional, thankfully." He mused to himself as he activated all the systems and readied his AC for the operation. "Same structural damage as before fighting Ambient and the Answerer last time, I'll have to be very careful with that now that the Primal Armor is gone until who knows when."

_"Everything ready for launch."_ The computer read, and Hawk smiled at that.

"Well then, I wonder what the rest of ORCA would say about this situation I'm in." Hawk whispered as he thought of all the people he knew that had heard him say what he was about to say, enemy or ally alike. "Strayed here. Sky Ruler, ready for launch!"

Lelouch felt his eyes widen as the massive black and white machine rose from behind the boxes, the Sutherland he was piloting barely reached up to the NEXT's waistline and its head almost broke through what remained of the ceiling, it looked a little worse for wear in a few spots, but that did not diminish how fearsome the unit looked. If that was the old friend Hawk had wanted to get in their escape plan he wasn't going to complain. An incoming transmission over a private channel named ORCA got his attention and he put it on, but sound only just in case.

"Lelouch, meet Sky Ruler, my personal Armored Core NEXT unit designed by myself. Although it has seen better days and needs to undergo repairs as soon as possible." Hawk stated in a calm tone over the line as his face appeared in Lelouch's screen, showing a small smile. "Switch your camera on, please, I want to see the look on your face."

"Hawk…" Lelouch started grinning as he granted his friend's request. "It'll be a pleasure to work with you."

"Thanks." The Lynx replied, moving the NEXT towards the entrance and slashing it apart enough to open a way for himself. "My last boss told me the same thing when I joined him and his organization."

"ORCA, by any chance?" Lelouch asked, having noticed the channel's name and the emblem engraved on the machine's shoulder and the back of Hawk's jacket, finally tying everything together. The mercenary gave a nod in reply. "Any chances it will be hacked by Britannia or anyone else?"

"None, I'm the only one left alive and the only one who knows how to access it." The brown haired Lynx explained. "That, and it's triple coded and mostly untraceable thanks to it being sent through SKAI, so it's as safe as it can be."

"SKAI? As in your machine?" Lelouch asked. If Hawk told him that his unit had sentience, he wouldn't know how to react.

"A special computer installed in it, but yeah." The pilot replied, shrugging, and Lelouch let out the breath he had been holding without realizing. "It's nothing much, but does a very good job with handling radar interference, network hacking and communications, among other things. Shall we get going?"

"Yes, let's." Lelouch replied as a thought went through his mind. "Can SKAI get us into the Terrorists communication network?"

"As long as we have a way to…" Hawk's eyes widened as he remembered the communication device Lelouch still carried. "Lelouch, get that radio sending a signal. SKAI, decode it and archive it, send it to Lelouch's Sutherland as well."

_"Understood."_ The computer read, and two seconds later. _"Com line decoded, archiving and sending."_

"Perfect. Now, I need to know about our situation." The Exiled Prince took out his phone and prepared to call the first number in the contact list, which was that of the girl that had almost gotten him and Hawk killed, Shirley Fenette.

"I'll be going now, contact me through this line or the terrorist one when you have what you need." Hawk said as he finished putting on the pilot suit and shadowed helmet.

"Where are you going?" Lelouch asked, surprised.

"I never liked it when there was a slaughter taking place and I couldn't do anything to stop it, so I'm going to help in keeping Britannia away from any shelters these people may have." The Lynx explained, his tone serious. "The way things are now, you don't need me to protect you all the time, right?"

"Indeed." Lelouch admitted, he would have chuckled at the attempt to play hero if the guy hadn't said it so seriously. "When you meet them, tell them your boss has a plan to help them win this and to wait for me to contact them. If someone fighting by their side tells them that, they're more inclined to believe what I say when I start taking command."

"Understood, boss." Strayed replied as he gripped the controls and made small strategies basing himself on what little he knew about Britannia's tactics and machines. "Strayed, moving out."

Outside the combat zone, Suzaku Kururugi opened his eyes, getting a pretty clear view of the white ceiling before it was blocked by a white haired man with glasses over his azure eyes and a grin plastered across his face.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Private Kururugi." The man celebrated as a blue haired woman showed him the remains of his father's pocket watch. "Although if that had not taken the bullet for you, you wouldn't be here any longer."

"Where…?" the Honorary Britannian asked, incorporating.

"Still in the Shinjuku Ghetto, I'm afraid." The white haired man explained, his tone changing to a bored one as Suzaku took back the watch and thanked the woman. "You Elevens believe that gods and spirits reside within objects, don't you?"

"Excuse me…" The Eleven in question voiced, interrupting the man's monologue before it escalated. "Who are you?"

"Oh, my, we completely forgot about that." He chuckled. "I'm Lloyd Asplund, genius extraordinaire. This is my assistant, Cécile Croomy."

"Pleased to meet you, Private Kururugi." The woman smiled kindly and Suzaku could only return it.

"Likewise." The Private replied before going to his next question. "Is Lelouch…? I mean, what's the situation?"

"They released the poison gas and the casualties among the Elevens just keep piling up." Lloyd explained dismissively with a wave of his hand. "They haven't caught the perpetrators yet."

"I see…"

"Tell me, Private Kururugi, how much experience do you have in piloting Knightmare Frames?" Lloyd asked suddenly.

"But there's no way an Eleven like me would be made a knight and allowed to pilot one." Suzaku almost shouted in surprise.

"And if I didn't care about that and let you?" Lloyd smirked as he showed him a golden USB key, and the Honorary Britannian nodded, making the ever present smile in the scientist's face widen. "Congratulations! You're now the test pilot of a one of a kind Knightmare!"

"At least until the Club is sent here and the Grail is finished." Cécile added with a smile, cutting her boss' speech short before focusing her eyes on Suzaku. "Once you get into that Frame everything will change, you and your world. Whether you want them to or not." The boy nodded and Lloyd seemed to teleport in and out of the infirmary, appearing back with a rather thick manual.

"Have that read and memorized as soon as you can. Today, preferably." Lloyd sang out as he gave the teenager the Lancelot's operation manual, Suzaku could only nod in reply and start reading, just in case.

Back in the Ghetto, one of the Britannian tanks exploded as the red Glasgow's Slash Harken hit its fuel deposit. The weapon went back to its place as Kallen glared at the troops infesting the place, crying tears of anger and impotence as more tanks approached her position.

"Those damned Britannians!" She cried out inside the machine as she destroyed a second tank. "How dare they do this to our home?!"

"Kallen, how's the Glasgow?" Her group's boss, Kaname Ohgi, asked over their line urgently.

"Don't worry about me, Ohgi!" She replied determined, dodging fire as she sent her only remaining Slash Harken at the enemy and destroying it. "I may have lost an arm earlier, but the Glasgow's fine! I'll keep running decoy, you guys get the people out of here. The only ones that need to get caught today are members of the Resistance like us, not them!"

"I know, but they have us surrounded!" Ohgi told her before a loud sound, similar to a loud whistle but buzzing and energized, was heard over the com line, accompanied by several explosions. "We have a way out?! How did that happen?!"

"I'll be helping with the decoy business now if you don't mind, get the people out of here!" A new voice none of them had heard before commanded over the com. "Also, get ready for my boss' plan and we'll make it out of here alive… Hopefully."

"Who are you?" Kallen asked just as the sound was heard again and two bluish beams of light rained down on the two tanks in front of her, making them go up in flames just as a black and white unit unlike any she had ever seen and twice as big as a Knightmare Frame landed in front of her and put two bullets through the cockpit of a nearby Sutherland.

"All I'm giving for now is my Codename." The voice replied as the machine fired the rifles in its hands, shooting down several helicopters in the sky under the gaze of a gaping Kallen. "Call me Strayed."

"Strayed?" Ohgi asked bewildered as he led the group of civilians to a shelter, what sort of name was that?

"Look, the boss and I will answer questions when things are over." Strayed replied, his voice revealing he wasn't exactly patient, but who could blame him in this situation? Especially when he was pretty busy dodging the incoming fire and returning it. "Right now you need help and we're giving it, aren't we?"

"Fine, we'll take it." Ohgi shouted back as he led a large group of people to a shelter. "When will your boss contact us?"

"When he's ready to win us this battle." Strayed replied simply, destroying the last machine close to them and making the pilot eject. "Just wait for the message. Now then, Kallen was it?" He got a grunt in response from the Glasgow's pilot. "Show me the pride of the Japanese people."

"Oh, I'll do more than that, Mister Strayed." The girl replied with a wild glare as a troop of five Sutherlands came up to them. "Does that thing you use have a name?"

"It does, unfortunately it's so damaged it cannot live up to it." Her mysterious pilot chuckled dryly. "I may tell you about it later. In the meantime, take this." The bigger unit handed her an oversized black and white gun, fortunately her Glasgow could hold it with one arm despite it being meant for a bigger machine. "It has about one hundred shots, and I have another one for you once that one's spent."

"Thanks." She smiled, regaining some of the hope she had lost, and got the weapon in place just in time for battle. "Let's kick those Brits out of this place!"

Both units moved at the same time, Armored Core and Knightmare Frame charged forward, firing rounds into one of the Sutherlands and maneuvering out of the way of the other four. Strayed activated the Sirius and shot towards the sky, destroying two flight carriers before they dropped their reinforcements and making the weapon go back to its usual position behind the NEXT before quick-boosting out of the way of a tank shell, he couldn't allow himself to get hit today, at least not by something like that.

"Seven shots left in each cannon." He mused as more Sutherlands approached their location while the tank that had fired on him went up in flames thanks to a shot to the fuel deposit, courtesy of Kallen. The enemy had probably been guided by the bluish white blasts he had just unleashed. He shot one more enemy in the cockpit and his partner Glasgow destroyed another while he switched on the ORCA line. "You better come up with something good soon, boss, or my contract won't last because I'll be a goner."

"The west entrance." Lelouch's voice boomed over the coms of both machines through the Terrorists' line. "Head for the west entrance! Use the train tracks to get there!"

"That's him. Come on, Kallen!" Strayed replied, unleashing both Sirius at the same time in a straight, spiraling white blast that erased four enemies from existence. "Move it!"

"Right!" The girl replied as he moved to cover her retreat with another twin blast from the cannons.

"If it isn't my friend, the red Glasgow!" A confident voice came over an open channel just as Kallen turned a corner, finding that three Sutherlands were there. The girl reacted fast and took an alternative route, jumping upwards to the place she had been told to go seconds later. "But if you only run away this hunt will not satisfy me, Jeremiah Gottwald." The voice added as the three Knightmare's followed her.

"Alright, I'm on the train tracks, what now?" Kallen asked as both Sutherlands chased after her using the same path.

"Since you trusted us, you get to win." The voice she didn't know stated as a train came towards her. "Jump on that train."

Kallen obeyed, making the Glasgow land on the train's roof. The Sutherland piloted by Jeremiah soon collided with the machine, stopping it as the man commanded his followers to get the Glasgow as he kept the train in place. But the other soldiers never got that far as a Slash Harken and a rifle round tore through each unit unit at the same time, killing them both instantly.

"Shot by friendly fire?" Jeremiah asked aloud, not having noticed the other source of attack, and directing his Factsphere towards the building the Harken had come from. "You, what's your name and unit?"

A sudden alarm got his attention as a black and white Frame unlike any he had seen before landed by his side, towering over him, and shot off his Knightmare's head just as the Red Glasgow charged in for the kill. Seeing no reason to die yet, Jeremiah activated the ejection system, cursing the Elevens for their insolence and cheap tricks as he flew out of range.

"Is that your boss?" Kallen asked over the com as she glanced at the building, but found nothing there. "Where did he get a Sutherland? And where did he go?"

"He can be really sneaky when he wants to." Strayed commented as he used the Sky Ruler's radar to scan for enemies. "We're safe for now, no enemy units nearby, and we really did a number on them." He looked at the Glasgow, which only had an arm and a Slash Harken left and still was capable of fighting against an army. "Seeing how good you are, I wonder about what you could do if you had a better unit and not that outdated Frame."

Kallen blushed slightly at the compliment, the guy in that thing was obviously someone used to this sort of battles, that much was obvious by how he moved the machine and how easily he had taken out the enemy pilots, and he was complimenting her skills. She shook her head and focused when she noticed some of her group approaching them.

"Kallen! Did that guy tell you to come here as well? And is that Strayed?" A man in his early thirties with black hair and eyes asked as he came running towards them along with three more Japanese Resistance members. "Alright then, where's the boss that's giving the orders?"

"Ohgi! He told you to come here too?" Kallen asked surprise as Strayed smiled under the obscured helmet.

"Yeah, and Tamaki and the others are on the way." Ohgi replied just before his communicator activated, receiving a transmission.

"Are you the one in charge?" Lelouch asked over the com, having listened to the entire conversation. "Very well then, I present to you the cargo in that train, they're the tools for your victory." He continued after Ohgi gave the affirmative reply. "Follow my orders and you'll get out of this alive and victorious."

"How did he get these?" Kallen gaped as she eyed the cargo, consisting of enough Sutherlands to supply a squad the size of their Resistance cell.

"Woman in the Glasgow." The voice came over to her com. "How is you Energy Filler?"

"About ten minutes left, and my name's Kallen. At least your partner had the decency to remember that." She replied as she watched the black and white machine kneel.

"Replace it then. You and Strayed will be running decoy." Lelouch ordered, ignoring the jab. "In ten minutes I'll have your next move, get ready in the meantime."

"Understood." Kallen nodded absently, her attention focused on Strayed's frame as the torso opened up, revealing the cockpit, and the pilot came out before it closed up again.

"So you're Strayed, huh?" One of the Resistance's rowdiest members, one Shinichiro Tamaki, had just arrived and was eyeing the black clad pilot suspiciously, not liking him one bit for whatever reason he hadn't thought about yet. "You don't look like a member of the JLF or any other Resistance cells to me."

"That's because I'm not." Strayed replied, looking at the Resistance member in the eye despite the golden, mirror-like visor in his helmet.

"Listen, pal, this better not be a trap, because if it is you'll be messing with me." Tamaki yelled at the Lynx.

"Duly noted." The mercenary replied as he made to walk away from the man.

"Are you and your boss with the EU? And who are you working for?" Another member asked, getting in his way, and soon most of the Resistance had surrounded him and bombarded him with questions he was not going to answer. "Who is your boss exactly?"

"Excuse me, anyone willing to help me in replacing my Energy Filler?!" Kallen asked as she came out of her Frame, drawing the attention of the crowd away from the mercenary pilot.

"I will if you don't mind." Strayed himself said to pretty much everyone's surprise. "I'd like to get a good look at my partner unit for the mission now that we have a breather."

"Come on everyone, we can ask questions later." Ohgi ordered as the Lynx walked over to Kallen. "We need to get used to these gifts our mysterious benefactor has brought for us."

"Thanks, you know, both for saving my ass out there and helping with this." Kallen said after a few moments of silence between the two. "I owe you and your boss big time."

"Don't sweat it." Strayed smiled as the spent filler was extracted. "Now, to get a new one."

"If you don't mind me asking, where did you get that thing from? Its design is unlike any I have ever seen." Kallen said as the new Energy Filler was being inserted, eyeing Strayed's mech with slight admiration. Although, now that she could take a good look at it she noticed it had been through a lot, just like the pilot had mentioned.

"Designed it myself." Strayed replied with a smile in his voice as he jumped off the machine used for recharging Knightmare Frames. "And some friends gave the funding and materials for it to be created, a pity they died, I really owed them a lot."

"What's its name?" The redhead asked, surprised that this guy, who didn't look or sound much older than herself, had truly designed such a thing. She wasn't inclined to call it a lie because she had a feeling it wasn't.

"Don't laugh, but it's called Sky Ruler." Strayed explained, and Kallen laughed even though he had asked her not to, but the name was just too preposterous for her to ignore.

"Sorry." She replied, after all that had happened, she had found that a good laugh had helped her, even if the Ghetto was in shambles. The two of them spoke for a while, not really mentioning anything important. Kallen's features hardened as she eyed her unit's watch once the conversation had stopped. "Time's almost up."

"I should go back to my NEXT then." The Lynx muttered before looking at her and extending his hand for a handshake, taking a page out of his last boss' book in the process. "Let's show these Britannian dogs how to run decoy, shall we?"

"Oh, we sure will." Kallen replied with a smile as she took it. She didn't know why she had felt so comfortable around the guy, but she was really grateful he and his boss had appeared when they had and lent her and the Resistance help. "Let's just hope your boss' plan is as good as you make him out to be." She muttered to herself as she entered her own unit.

"Is everything ready?" Lelouch asked Hawk through the ORCA channel the moment the mercenary sat in his seat and closed the cockpit.

"Everyone's ready, yes. Do you have a good plan for this?" The Lynx replied with slight worry in his voice. "These are rather good people, I'd like it if they all came out of it alive... Hopefully."

"If they follow the plan to the letter, they will." Lelouch stated simply as he prepared his move.

"I'm counting on you, boss." Hawk told him, his voice dead serious, and the exiled Prince looked at him curiously before shaking his head and sighing, he had found a strange ally, no doubt.

"All units, are you ready?" The raven haired student asked over the Resistance's com line.

"We are, but how about you tell us who the hell you are first?!" Tamaki asked loudly before Ohgi cut him off.

"We'll follow your instructions, but we'd like some answers once this is over." The Resistance leader said sternly.

"And you'll have them, believe me." Lelouch assured them. "Now then, I've given each of you a designation number. The Glasgow's is Q-1…" He smiled at the low growl coming from that unit, probably for omitting the woman's name again. "Strayed is K-5, Ohgi, you are P-1…" The Prince continued on until every member of his improvised army had heard and memorized his designation. "Is everything clear?" Collective sounds of agreement came at the same time over the com. "Well then, Q-1 and K-5, move to the point I'm sending you. The rest of you get ready and double check your weapons."

What followed next was something Hawk and many others would remember for a long time, and something that would be known later on as Zero's secret debut. The mysterious voice kept predicting each and every enemy move to the point of seemingly being three steps ahead of the Britannian forces, maneuvering the group of fighters like a master and having them take out the enemy units with little to no effort. Hawk could only whistle his admiration for Lelouch as both he and Kallen played decoy all over the Ghetto, sometimes taking down stragglers and small squads while the bulk of the force, the Resistance's Sutherlands, executed the exiled Prince's orders with precision, getting the intended results in every move he had in mind.

"Alright, I'll admit it." Kallen said after she had taken out her fourteenth enemy Sutherland already, this one on top of a building, and moved towards the ground, where her partner for the operation was waiting in front of the remains of two units he had slashed apart, the rifles had no more ammo left so he had switched to the laser blades and kept the other handgun hidden for whenever it was necessary. "Your boss is as good as you make him out to be, Strayed."

"Thanks for the compliment, Q-1." The voice replied before the mercenary did. "Now, both of you move to point B-28 and attract enemy attention by dispatching the four units there."

"Roger that." Strayed replied mechanically, it was like having Kasumi giving orders on how to fight the Spirit of Motherwill all over again. He spared a thought for his deceased operator before joining Kallen in the run towards their next target.

_'Once this is over, I need some answers.'_ The redhead thought as she moved her machine. _'The weapons the Sky Ruler is equipped with, I've never seen anything like it. Where did that thing come from? He said he built it himself, but that's just not clear enough.'_

The command center was in chaos, that much was clear to Prince Clovis La Britannia as he looked on while his officials yelled at each other. General Bradley had already ordered a change of codes five times over and it wasn't having any effect, plus their forces were being beaten with ease. None of the officials had an inkling of how the terrorists had obtained Sutherlands of all things and the situation was really getting on the Prince's nerves.

"This failure is unacceptable!" Clovis roared as he stood, ignoring the ridiculous amount of apologies and instead focusing on the images of the massive black and white unit and red Glasgow duo that appeared to be having a major role in bringing his forces down. "Those two must be the leaders."

"Hello there." Lloyd Asplund cooed from the massive screen, sending the images to the side. "May I suggest, Your Highness, that you let us in the ASEEC take care of your little situation?"

"I have no time for this, Lloyd!" The Prince shouted as he looked over the military board. "Now, follow my orders. Reinforce the front line with some of the units guarding me. All we know for certain is that the enemy is in the Ghetto."

"But what about that black and white machine?" One of the officials asked. "We can't locate it in our radar systems, no matter what we do. And if the reports are right, it's taken out a fourth of our forces!"

"That one is always close to that red Glasgow, all we need to do is follow that one's signal and we'll find it." Clovis replied, smirking. "We'll surround them and take them out in full force." The Prince looked confident in his plan, not expecting Lelouch to be the one on the other side of the board, laughing as he understood the move his foolish older brother had made.

"That's an even worse move than I expected." Lelouch thought out loud as he observed the battle situation through his radar and IFF systems. "Alright then, Q-1, K-5. What's your situation?"

"Q1 and K-5 here, we took out the enemy squad." Kallen replied over the com. "What do you need?"

"Do you have a map of the Ghetto I can use?" The exiled Prince asked, a plan forming in his mind.

"I do, but it has no current landmarks." The redhead replied, sending the data to him anyway.

"It'll do." Lelouch replied, going through the map and looking for a location that would serve for the plan he had in mind. Once he found it, he smirked. "Very well then, you and Strayed will be operating separately now. Q-1, you'll be moving to this location I'm sending you, then strip your IFF mechanism and set it there so that it keeps sending your signal. I'll give you further instructions when you've completed this part."

"Understood." Kallen replied as she dashed towards the point she had been sent while Lelouch ordered the rest of the Resistance cell to strike a couple enemy squads that were too close to them and then use the underground tunnels for hiding. "Good luck on your end, Strayed. Whatever he's having you do."

"Good luck to you too." The Lynx said as he waited for his orders.

"Now then, K-5." Lelouch continued as he reached the last of his long list of orders to give. "The Britannian troops are being reinforced by Clovis' personal guard. It's very possible that my plan will not finish all of them off, your job is to pick up any stragglers that are left once Q-1 has done her job."

"This is Q-1, I'm in position and I'm installing the IFF signal." The redhead informed right that instant.

"I better get moving then." Strayed told his boss before moving out to the best vantage point he could find, the one at the top of what once had probably been a beautiful building while Lelouch gave Kallen her final orders, to go underground with the rest of the Sutherlands and wait for his signal to fire her Slash Harken upwards.

"This is really wearing me out." The black haired teen sighed after he had shut the exiting communication on the terrorist's channel.

"You're doing a pretty good job though." Hawk commented over their private channel, and Lelouch remembered he never shut it down. "Thanks, for living up to those expectations."

"It isn't over yet, so don't thank me." Lelouch replied, sweating a bit as the moves kept happening and he replayed them with the chess pieces he had gathered inside the Frame. He soon smiled as the enemy units found themselves surrounding nothing, since each and every one of the Resistance members was underground. "Q-1, now!" He ordered, almost feeling like laughing maniacally.

"Alright!" Kallen roared inside her cockpit as she fired the Slash Harken and destroyed the floor under more than half of the enemy units.

"Strayed, get us our Checkmate." Lelouch commanded, moving the final piece into position.

"Yes sir." Strayed replied as he shot the Sirius cannons, annihilating the rest of the enemy force except two stragglers he proceeded to cut down with the laser blades. "And that's the end of it… Hopefully."

"That machine is magnificent!" The man known by some of his peers as the Earl of Pudding was cooing all over the place, getting on everyone's nerves. "Nothing compared to mine, of course, but it's certainly an amazing piece. Oh, how I wish I could get my hands on it, especially those blades it has!"

"Lloyd!" Clovis shouted, getting the man's attention. Once he had that, he continued. "Can you do it? Will your toy beat them?"

"My Lord. Please be so kind as to refer to it by its name…" Lloyd smiled confidently. "Lancelot."

"Then send it, now." Clovis replied, posing for emphasis. "In my name as viceroy of Area 11, I order you to send the Lancelot out and wipe out our enemies!"

"Yes, My Lord." Lloyd replied with a gentle smirk, something only he seemed capable of doing.

"What now, boss?" Tamaki asked over the line. He was liking the guy more with every order he gave, although he wasn't sure about that Strayed guy, he didn't like that he hid his face like that. "Huh?" He added as he noticed the blindingly fast white and gold unit approaching. "The hell?!"

"P-5, what's wrong?" Lelouch asked as more screams filled the com line. "Answer, what's happening?!"

"This is P group here." One of the Terrorists replied. "Everyone ejected, but it took down four units in no time flat."

"Reinforcements, eh?" Lelouch sighed, calmer now that he knew what he was facing. "How many of them?"

"Just one, I think it's a new model!" The terrorist explained to Lelouch's surprise. "I've never seen anything like-ARGH!"

"It took down the whole P group?!" The exiled Prince was bewildered, that just couldn't be possible. "N group, surround that thing and hold it, wait for Strayed to get there."

"Gotcha." Another terrorist replied as he and his group opened fire on the white Knightmare Frame.

"I'm going in then, let's see what they had hidden in their sleeve." Hawk said over the ORCA channel. "I'm a bit far, but once I get there I'll keep it busy, you go about your business."

"What need is there for me to go separately? Once you get here it will fall in a matter of seconds."

"Lelouch, I believe this thing they're fighting to be comparable in power to the Sky Ruler." The mercenary's voice was dead serious, which caught Lelouch's attention. "Get out of there and do what you need to do, like we discussed."

"Alright, you're the veteran on the field." The exiled Prince replied, ready to escape.

"This is N group, where's Strayed?!" The Terrorists shouted in fear. "ARGH, get away from me!" The communication was then cut off.

"P-1 here, I'm sorry, it took us all out." Ohgi's voice came in, he was probably using the device he carried on his back to communicate. "Only you, Kallen and Strayed have units now."

"Strayed, take that thing…" Lelouch couldn't finish the sentence as a white and gold blur landed in front of him. In fact, the Prince barely had time to lift his Sutherland's arm to block the enemy attack, and he lost the limb in the process. "You! You're the one ruining my plans?!" Lelouch cursed, taking a good look of the golden plated, emerald eyed face of the enemy Knightmare.

Inside the cockpit of the Lancelot, Suzaku glared at the Sutherland he had found hidden in the rubble of a half destroyed building. This guy, the one away from it all, was surely the one in charge of everything, there was no other way around it.

"So you're the guy that's in command?!" He shouted as he pushed the experimental Knightmare forward, exerting more strength against the blocking arm.

"Nothing more than a pilot!" Lelouch spat in anger and disbelief. "How dare he ruin everything?!"

The footing gave in below them and they fell through various floors. Lelouch's Sutherland landed on its back and would have been dismantled then and there had Kallen and her red Glasgow not shot their last bullets at the white Frame, which surprisingly activated some sort of green energy shield and they bounced off.

"I'm returning the favor, get out of here!" Kallen shouted, snapping the exiled Prince back to his senses. "How long till you get here, Strayed?" She asked over the com as the Sutherland got away at top speed.

"Don't try to hold him for too long, what you did will be just fine." The Lynx told her just as she used her Slash Harken, only for her enemy to catch it and snap it in two with one hand. "Eject, Kallen! I'll be there soon... Hopefully."

"Alright, he's all yours." She replied as she activated the ejection system. "But if we fight it again, I want a piece of it."

_'I've got to remember this for next time. The most important element in battle is the human one.'_ Lelouch thought to himself as he sped down the remains of the Ghetto towards the Britannian command center, to do what he and Hawk had discussed. A sudden alarm got his attention, making him look behind to find the white unit that was slowly but surely becoming the bane of his existence there, chasing after him and moving faster than his Sutherland could ever hope to.

"Damn that thing, it's way too fast!" He shouted as he turned and fired while keeping his direction, damaging several buildings so that the debris would give him the opening to escape, but to no avail. The white machine dodged and ran over every single thing Lelouch threw at it, reacting almost inhumanely fast. "That damn monster's unstoppable." The exiled Prince seethed. "Where the hell are you, Hawk?!"

As if on cue, the black and white massive machine landed between the two just as the enemy Frame was about to reach him, turning on the two laser blades and standing menacingly between Lelouch and his opponent.

"Sorry for the delay Lelouch, but it was you who sent me to the other end of the Ghetto." Strayed stated as he readied himself for a tough fight, he didn't really need anything to know this thing in front of him was dangerous as hell. "Get going, I'll keep it busy."

"I'm counting on you." Was the reply Strayed got as the Sutherland's ejection system activated and Lelouch flew away towards the command center.

"That machine…" Suzaku was astounded, he had heard some whispers, and Lloyds excited shouts, while reading the Lancelot's manual but he had not expected the Frame twice as big as normal that was thrashing everything apart would be so imposing. "This is going to be hard."

Wordlessly, the black titan charged. The Lancelot moved back fast, dodging the slashes and using the walls, which Strayed couldn't climb, to gain better positioning. The Lancelot's Slash Harkens grazed the NEXT's torso but did not cut in too deep, allowing the Lynx inside to get a good grasp on their range.

"It's like fighting White Glint all over again." Strayed seethed as he maneuvered the NEXT, which was a lot slower than the Knightmare Frame when it came to articulation movement like the one needed in this fight, not to mention his defense mechanisms were offline. "This may be my toughest battle yet and I just got here."

The battle raged for a while, the Lancelot always moved out of the way of the Sky Ruler's attacks, but the titanic machine was impervious to anything the white Knightmare Frame could throw at it, much to Lloyd's dismay as he had slowly come to realize he had come to a draw with whoever built that thing fighting his Lancelot. The white haired scientist promised himself to congratulate whoever had matched his design, he hadn't even thought it would be possible.

"This thing's a monster!" Suzaku told himself as the massive machine took hit after hit from the Slash Harkens and still kept on coming at him, barely taking any damage. "I can't even slow it down, even if it can't hit me… huh?"

The Sky Ruler quick-boosted forward, moving too fast for the Honorary Britannian to react in such a short amount of time. The laser blades deactivated and the NEXT used his hands to grab the white Frame, holding it in place so it wouldn't escape. Strayed knew he had only one chance to do this right, the laser blades bounced of whatever shield this unit used, and that was if he managed to hit it, and the rifles were spent. Going for his remaining handgun was also out of the question in a speed battle like this one.

"Got you." Hawk smirked as he deployed the Sirius cannons for a point blank shot as Suzaku's eyes widened in fear and Lloyd screamed for the dear life of his invention. "Take this!"

The Sirius cannons fired both at the same time the Lancelot activated the Blaze Luminous system and surrounded itself in the shield. Bluish white impacting against light green until both gave up and waned, disappearing from sight.

"It withstood the Sirius' twin blast…" Hawk was flabbergasted as he let go of the Lancelot an quick-boosted backwards to gain some ground while the Sirius went on cool down, having used the last shot available before that happened.

"The Blaze Luminous… No, the Lancelot itself almost ran out of power to block that…" Suzaku whispered incredulous just as Lloyd gaped in a way that would make the Britannian cartoon villain, Wile E. Coyote, jealous.

"Suzaku, retreat, now!" Cecile ordered urgently, and the boy complied immediately. Knowing that he didn't stand a chance against that thing now. "We were lucky, had the energy filler been a little lower on power, the Lancelot would have been vaporized on the spot."

"That thing… that machine…" Lloyd was entranced, looking at the image of the Sky Ruler with his eyes glazed over. "I must analyze it and learn its secrets!"

Outside the van Lloyd and his group were using, a lone soldier walked towards the command center and smirked upon reaching it. He had managed to do it, finally.

"You, who are you?" The lone guard asked, pointing his weapon at the black haired soldier.

"At long last, the check point." Lelouch mused to himself, ignoring the soldier. "And barely guarded as I planned. Now, go away and let me through." He added, using his power this time.

Over in the Ghetto, Kallen ran down the streets until she found Ohgi and followed him to the shelter they were keeping the people in in order to protect them from the Britannians. The members of her Resistance cell were all armed with guns and trying to keep the people calm, although Tamaki yelling at them to shut up weapon in hand was not helping a lot in the effort.

"Ohgi, who do you think was Strayed's boss?" Kallen asked as they both walked in.

"Hell if I know, he doesn't answer when we call anyway." The black haired man replied.

"I told you it was a bad idea to trust these guys who wouldn't even show their faces!" Tamaki shouted from the other end of the shelter, and many of the other members had to resist the urge to sock him in the face. "They left us hanging the moment things turned bad!"

"No, I don't think…" Kallen started but whatever she was going to say was interrupted by a voice coming from their communicator.

"Thanks, Tamaki, I knew you trusted us." Strayed said from the communicator, his tone condescending. "Get the hell out of there, the Britannians are closing in!"

"How? We're locked in and there's no other way out apart from the front door!" Ohgi told him as said door exploded inwards due to a Britannian tank shell. "Damn, they're here!"

The Britannian tank couldn't get in though, as a black and white machine the Resistance had become pretty fond of in little time landed on it, crushing it under the sheer weight of the NEXT and unleashing a rain of bullets from a hand gun in its right hand while kneeling and moving the left arm protectively over the opening in the shelter, not willing to let anything get in.

"I hope you don't mind trusting me a little longer." Strayed told them as he defended the shelter with all he had left, knowing he was taking a huge risk due to being unable to dodge, but he wasn't about to let everything these people had fought for go to waste like this.

"We're counting on you." Kallen replied, grabbing Tamaki's weapon before the guy realized and shooting the mounted grenade at one of the tanks approaching. "But I hope you don't mind the help."

"As long as you don't get killed." The reply caught many by surprise, as they felt a tinge of emotion there they hadn't expected. _'I'm counting on you, Lelouch. I can't keep this up for too long.'_ The Lynx thought as he inserted the last cartridge in the hand gun of the mech.

"Attention all forces, cease fire at once!" Prince Clovis' voice boomed all over the Ghetto, coming from the command center and surprising everyone on the battlefield, civilian, terrorist and soldier alike. "I, Prince Clovis La Britannia, third Prince of the Empire and Viceroy of Area 11 command you, cease fire at once. I will tolerate no further fighting!"

"Looks like the boss did it." Strayed muttered to himself as he deactivated his weapons at the sight of the unmoving soldiers, so as to prove that if they were not fighting anymore, he wasn't either.

"All forces must also cease the destruction of all buildings and properties." Clovis continued. "All casualties, whether Eleven or Britannian, shall be treated equally and without prejudice." There was a small pause. "In my name I order you, cease fire at once, no further fighting is allowed."

Inside the Command Center, as all forces started coming back and gathering the dead, the lights went out as Prince Clovis sighed and looked at the man with obscured features that was holding him at gun point. He wasn't really sure about why all of his staff officers had left when they had been commanded to, but even Bartley had left him alone with this suspicious fellow.

"Are you satisfied?" The third Prince asked, getting a curt nod in reply. "And whatever shall we do now? Should we sing a few songs together? Or perhaps you'd prefer a match of chess?" He added mockingly.

"That has a familiar ring." The man replied to his surprise. And there was something about his voice that felt familiar to Clovis. "Don't you remember? The two of us used to play chess together as boys. Of course, I'd always win."

"What are you talking about?" The Viceroy asked in fear.

"Please don't tell me you forgot about the Aries Villa." The man walked forward, revealing features that Clovis recognized despite not having seen them for seven years. "It's me, Brother."

"Lelouch, you're alive?!" The fear on Clovis' voice was fighting against the joy he felt about seeing the exiled Prince in front of him. "But I thought…"

"That I was dead?" He finished for him with a sinister smile that did not vanish as he kneeled in front of the throne. "Lelouch Vi Britannia, the Eleventh Prince of the Empire has come back, Your Highness. And I'm going to change everything."

* * *

And right there, Chapter 2 is over, exactly the same way the second episode of Code Geass ended. Still, there a few changes in how things happened this time.

As explained in the chapter, the Sky Ruler is not at its full power. The story reason being that the engine got damaged in the explosion, the writer's reason being that it would be way too much if it retained all of its features right at the beginning of the story. It's going to regain them periodically through various repairs. Also know that, while incapable of sustained flight, it still can use short bursts to 'jump' upwards and stay in the air for a brief period of time, five seconds or so. Strayed used that to go from roof to roof over the Ghetto.

No more NEXT crushing armies until we get to Saitama, so you'll have to wait on that one. We'll be going into plot next chapter (with Strayed meeting Kallen and sorting out stuff in Ashford), then Zero's debut on the following one and then the entrance of a few characters and the setting for Saitama after that. So be patient, I'm not willing to turn Code Geass into a full mecha story, it's not its thing.

Now that that's over, what do you guys think? Please review about it as your opinions and suggestions are something I like to read. Also, don't expect the next update to come out as fast, I was just incredibly inspired for this one.


	4. Chapter 03: Transfer Student in Ashford

Well then, time to continue where we left off. Be warned that this chapter is pure plot and characters talking and interacting, almost no robot action at all except a small summary.

Thanks to everyone that read, followed, favorited and/or reviewed.

To the Reviewers:

**cj1of4**: Strayed is not as secretive as Lelouch. In his opinion, there's no harm in his identity being known by the people he considers his allies, his personal history is another thing entirely though. That said, he's going to use his pilot suit and helmet in all the operations to avoid being recognized while on the job, just in case. Also, I don't see a NEXT pilot getting into his unit with a cape like the one Zero uses, so no flamboyantly awesome suit for him.

Lloyd won't get to know about the Answerer until they've already made a couple things with it but yes, he's going to get into one of his scientist moods and drool all over the place when he learns about it and what it holds.

**RoyalTwinFangs**: As a matter of fact, his pilot suit and mirrored helmet are based on those. I plan for the Sky Ruler and its R2 version, the Sky Ruler II to be loyal to Armored Core for Answer in terms of weapons, with a couple exceptions but they don't include a Hadron for him, he's keeping the back-mounted Hi-Laser Cannons. That being said, the Blaze Luminous, like the Float System, will be something appealing to Strayed, and much less destructive for allied forces than the Primal Armor. The question is whether or not it can be produced using Kojima Energy and that's something he's going to have to solve if he wants to acces the tech.

**brave kid**: Glad you like it and good to see you here as well. Enjoy the chapter.

**Criticanon**: The problem I have with changing lines is that I like the originals a lot and I just can't think of better phrasing most of the time. Still, I¡ll do my best to make it original. Thanks for the advice.

I like to make the fighting detailed because I think it makes it easier for the readers to picture what's going on, and it also helps me visualize it better as I write. Enjoy the chapter and let's see what you think of it.

**MM Browsing**: Thanks. My idea is to pair Strayed with Kallen, I believe the two most prominent Aces of the Black Knights (The Black Titan and the Red Lotus, as they're going to be known as by the poor Britannians in a few chapters) would make a good couple. Lelouch's pairing idea is C.C., I have a surprise planned for Euphy as well, but it has nothing to do with Suzaku.

**Guest**: You raise a pretty good point. The best thing the infantry can do is not get too close to the Sky Ruler and hope someone can take it down, Strayed will also have to be careful not to land too close to his allies as well. That being said, the particles are compressed to form the Primal Armor so they won't harm anyone outside of its range. As for the consequences on unprotected machinery, the moment Rakshata and Strayed meet they'll get that part solved for the Black Knights, Britannia won't be far behind after a couple traumatizing experiences. They have Lloyd on their side after all and the guy adapts fast.

Lelouch is indeed quite curious about where the hell Strayed came from and how in the world he came across the Sky Ruler, and with good reason. So expect him to start asking questions and getting more than he expected in reply. Thanks for the praise, here's hoping this will be as good. Enjoy.

* * *

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Code Geass or any of its spin-offs, nor do I own anything related to the Armored Core franchise, unless you count my copy of the Armored Core For Answer game, that I do own. All I own that is shown in this story are Hawk Magnus, the design of his NEXT/s, the K-Filter and the SKAI computer installed in it.

* * *

**Chapter 03: Transfer Student in Ashford**

"Can someone please explain what's going on?!" Jeremiah Gottwald glared at the soldiers in front of him with his orange eyes as he ran a hand through his blue hair nervously. "Why are we letting the Elevens go? What about the poison gas? And what are we going to do about that black and white machine that took out so many of our forces? Where exactly did it go to?"

"I don't know, Sir. We're just following His Highness' orders." One of the soldiers replied, slightly afraid of his superior officer. "The moment we stopped fighting, that thing did too and left a minute later, we have no idea where it is."

"Get me Bartley and the people in the Command Center, I want to speak with them." The Margrave commanded over his communicator, ignoring the soldiers, only to be enraged at the reply he received. "What do you mean they're not answering? Did they cut communications off or what?!"

Kallen eyed the discussion out of the corner of her eye as she and the other people that Strayed had protected in the shelter walked past the blue haired man and the soldiers. She had to admit that they had been lucky to count with both him and his boss, and even luckier that Clovis had ordered a cease fire for whatever reason. Right now she could only hope those two had gotten away safely, despite the fact that they had been defeated in the end, the show of force they had put on thanks to them was not something easy to ignore, no matter how much the Britannians would like to do just that.

"I wonder what's going on in there." Kallen muttered as she eyed the Britannian Command Center in the distance.

"Lelouch, I'm so glad to see you." Clovis was not sure about whether he should be happy or scared anymore. "I had thought you dead when Japan was invaded, what a blessing to have you back. I have no idea why you didn't come sooner but no matter, I'm sure you'll be well received when we get back to the Homeland…"

"So you can use me and Nunnally as political tools? Thanks, but no thanks." Lelouch's glare bore right into the third Prince. "It seems you have forgotten the whole reason we were sent to Japan in the first place. My mother's murder." The gun got closer to Clovis' forehead and the Viceroy was frozen in fear. "Mother was one of the Knights of the Round and a Knight of honor. However, due to her commoner origins, she was looked down upon by the other Imperial Consorts." Lelouch's voice got edgier with every word. "Even if you people made it look like the work of terrorists, I know full well that one of you bastards was the one behind it all."

"It wasn't me, I swear!" Clovis was about to piss himself in fear of the hatred engraved in Lelouch purple eyes.

"Then who was it?" The Exiled Prince asked impatiently. "Tell me what you know, the truth cannot be hidden from me any longer. Answer my questions!" He commanded using his power of absolute obedience.

"Very well." Clovis' mind went blank right then and there as his pupils became surrounded by a light orange hue, almost undetectable if you didn't know what you were looking for. The Viceroy was under Lelouch's control.

"Who killed my mother?" Lelouch asked a second later, punctuating every word.

"I do not know. But Brother Schneizel, the second Prince, and Sister Cornelia, the second Princess, may know." Clovis' voice was as entranced as his features as he spoke.

"They were at the heart of this?" Lelouch inquired by reflex and Clovis remained silent. "I see, you don't know." The exiled Prince concluded, releasing his order and making Clovis go back to reality.

"It wasn't me, I swear it, it wasn't me!" The Viceroy was terrified at this point. "I had nothing to do with it!"

"I believe you." Lelouch stated, taking the gun away to Clovis' relief, but the raven haired teen soon smirked evilly and took two steps forward. "However…" He began, pointing the gun at his older brother's forehead. "The world can't be changed without getting one's hands dirty." And he pressed the trigger.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Two days after the Shinjuku incident, Hawk walked down the corridors of Ashford Academy, having finished the necessary processes to get the house Lord Ashford had on sale and moved the Sky Ruler there. The NEXT was hidden in the basement of said house, and all traces of the basement's existence had been erased from the Britannian mainframe by Hawk to ensure no one would know he had such a place at his disposal except the previous owner.

The basement had been constructed to house an experimental Frame and the couple of scientists working on it, but then the Ashfords had lost whatever influence and money they had left since Empress Marianne's death and the scientists had left. Hawk's payment had been like a blessing for them, especially when he agreed to pay double in exchange of their silence on the matter, and the house was relatively close to the school, which was a bonus considering he was going attend after all.

The only thing he wasn't really glad about was that Lelouch had instantly suggested drafting him into the Student Council for some obscure reason, and although he wouldn't be working with them until he had been introduced to the rest of his classmates, the way the exiled Prince spoke of the council gave him shivers, especially that Milly girl that was the ruler of the council, as he had called her.

"Oh well, I'll just make the most of it." Hawk muttered to himself as he reached the faculty room and looked around, finding the man he was looking for. "Excuse me, Professor Lloyd?"

"Hmmm…" The white haired man turned around with a feline smile on his face. "Oh, you must be the new student that's starting today. Come now, sit down." Hawk did as told and sat in front of the teacher's desk. "Now then, I've read through your history and I'm glad to have the last member of the Magnus family alive and in my class, your records are astounding to say the least so I hope you'll keep it up here as well."

"I will, sir." Hawk replied with a small bow. "Thank you for the praise."

"Also, do not worry about the media coming here to interrogate you about all that happened, the staff here know how to keep their mouths shut, and the students are learning to do that fairly quickly too." The white haired man smirked gently as he put his glasses in place and Hawk nodded. "Now then, I have a couple things to take care of before I go to the classroom, why don't you get going in the meantime?"

"I'll do just that." Hawk said as he stood and left, walking towards his assigned classroom and finding Lelouch darting off, holding his mouth, towards the bathroom. Sighing, he followed after the exiled Prince, having a faint idea of what had happened.

_'They're still hiding Clovis' death. But that can only mean they're planning to use it for their benefit somehow…'_ Lelouch thought to himself as the water ran. He then smiled as he noticed who was also in there with him. "I'm not as tough as I thought I was, is that what you were going to tell me?"

"The first kill outside a machine is always the worse, especially if it's someone you knew." Hawk explained before reclining on one of the bathroom's walls, remembering when he had disposed of Don Colonel when he tried to stage a coup against the League, he had become quite fond of him a few days before that happened and shooting the man when he had abandoned his unit had been one of the hardest things for him. Had Wynne D. Fanchon not been there and helped him out, he probably wouldn't have made it out if there as sane as he had. "Take it easy for a while."

"I understand." The raven haired student replied. "So tell me, are you ready for what's to come? In the Academy, I mean." He added, smirking.

"I'll survive… Hopefully." Hawk stated, a little nervous, which made Lelouch laugh a bit. The man that had taken out so many enemies along with that red Glasgow was actually nervous about school of all things. "The biggest problem I'm going to have with school is that I can't take the Sky Ruler and threaten the teachers into making me pass, while the battlefield is a completely different thing."

"Trust me, when you get into the Student Council you'll wish you could take that with you there, if only to keep Milly away." Lelouch told him smirking, although he was planning to question the Lynx thoroughly later today. He wanted answers and he was sure Hawk had already investigated him and knew more than he let on about his real identity. "Well then, we wouldn't want you to be late on your first day, right?"

Both of them exited the bathroom and Lelouch entered the class while Hawk waited outside for Professor Lloyd to show up. He was just looking around when a name and a face caught his attention just as the white haired teacher started approaching down the corridor, humming happily.

"Kallen! It's been ages!" One girl shouted happily just as both Hawk and Lelouch focused on who she was talking to, an apparently weak, light red haired girl with azure eyes that both of them recognized instantly. "Sophie was really worried about you!"

"Are you okay now?" Another girl asked as Lelouch observed from a distance before he was interrupted by Rivalz.

"What are you looking at, buddy?" The blue haired teen asked to Lelouch's annoyance. "Kallen Stadfelt, huh? You sure know how to pick'em, Lelouch."

"It's not that. I was just thinking it's a strange occurrence to have her here with us, almost as strange as Professor Lloyd not being away in some of his shady business." Lelouch replied dismissively as he made plans to interrogate the girl as soon as possible while ignoring Rivalz's ramblings about the good and bad qualities of the redhead.

"Or having a transfer student!" Shirley added happily, sitting behind them and eyeing Hawk from her position. "Do any of you know him?"

"Alright class, quiet down." An overly happy voice caught everyone's attention as Professor Lloyd entered the classroom. "All of you, go to your seats, I have a little announcement to make before we get on to business." Once the students had obeyed, the white haired man gestured for Hawk to come in. "Well, this guy here's your new classmate, so treat him well. Come on, introduce yourself."

"I'm Hawk Magnus, it's a pleasure to meet you." The Lynx said with a small smile and his voice made Kallen blink a couple times, but she soon shook her head. Both Lelouch and Hawk had noticed it though, increasing their suspicions on the girl's identity. "I'm looking forward to spending the year with you all."

"Now that that's out of the way, why don't you take a seat?" Lloyd smiled as he eyed around the classroom. "There, the one by Miss Stadfelt is empty."

"But, Professor Lloyd, that one's taken by Martha, she's just not coming today." One of the students explained just before Hawk took a step forward.

"Well, if she's not here then she can't make the claim." The white haired professor waved his hand in dismissal to the surprise of the class. "All yours, Hawkie." He sang out to the teen's dismay, but he obeyed nevertheless.

"Well, looks like I'll be sitting here for a while." Hawk told the red haired girl as he sat. "I hope we can get along."

"Same here." The girl replied weakly with a small smile, keeping up the façade as she tried to distinguish whether the voice was actually Strayed's or not.

Classes continued throughout the day, with Kallen taking the sideline during PA due to her sickness, until it was time for lunch. The classroom was soon empty and only Lelouch and Hawk were left, Kallen had been dragged outside by her friends and they were eating while sitting on the grass despite her attempts to ask Hawk something, probably related to Shinjuku.

"So, it's her, right?" Lelouch said, having spent the whole time analyzing Kallen's voice and mannerisms and comparing. He had to admit the girl's mask was as solid as they came.

"Yeah, no doubt about it." Hawk replied, looking out the window at the group of girls. "What do we do?"

"Well, I have some questions for her that I want answered." Lelouch flashed his power for a second for emphasis.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just tell her who we are?" Hawk suggested as they came out of the class, he wasn't against the use of Lelouch's power, but he found that using it without good reason was not the best idea.

"I don't want her pestering us about this all the time, so I'd rather take this choice." Lelouch told him. "You don't have to come if you don't want to."

"Then, I'll stay behind." Hawk replied, stopping in his tracks and getting a nod from the raven haired boy. "I have nothing against that power, but using it at every turn just can't be good." He mused to himself as he looked out the window, seeing the girls fleeing the place they had gathered in a hurry while crying out about bees, the last one to react was Kallen, who ran towards the building and hid right below Hawk's window.

"Why's that bee following me around?" Kallen wondered aloud as she held a piece of her sandwich. The bee in question flew by her face and her expression changed to one of annoyance before she cut it in half with a sharp move of her hand and furiously bit her food. "I'm sick of acting like this! Why did I have to choose this sort of personality?!"

_'If I had any doubt left about it, I don't anymore. It's definitely her.'_ Hawk mentally chuckled as the girl found Lelouch standing by her side and looked taken aback.

"Can I help you?" She asked the other student who activated the power he had been given before speaking.

"I want answers." He stated simply, and that command took form in the girl's mind.

"What do you need to know?" She replied under the spell.

Hawk listened intently despite his earlier reluctance about the idea of using Lelouch's power. He had to admit that he was rather curious about what would drive a Britannian student to fight her country, he had figured out Lelouch's reasons with a bit of hacking and data gathering, entering His Highness Lelouch on Google and waiting for results had been quite enlightening, but the girl's motives were a mystery to him.

It turned out Kallen was actually half-Britannian, half-Japanese. Which certainly explained her reasons for fighting along with a desire to bring about his late brother's dream of a free Japan. Hawk couldn't help but admire this girl, whose prowess in a Glasgow would have probably gotten her into the middle Ranks of Collared at the very least. Lelouch's questioning soon finished and the exiled Prince walked away after giving her a polite excuse.

"Oh, right, before I forget." Lelouch turned around, activating his power again. "Don't tell anyone about Shinjuku."

"About Shinjuku? What's that supposed to mean?" The girl asked in reply, frowning, surprising both Prince and Lynx. "Why would you say that now?"

"Go back to class." Lelouch commanded again, but to no avail.

"I'm not going anywhere without you answering my questions." The girl replied with a ferocity she had not displayed until now.

"Kallen! We have to go to the Chemistry lab now." Hawk called out the window just as Shirley did the same thing for Lelouch. "Would you mind showing me the way?"

"Oh, crap. It's my turn to get everything ready for class!" Lelouch shouted as he ran off, leaving Kallen behind.

"Ah, sure. I'll go with you, Hawk." The red haired girl replied after sighing, but she couldn't really blame the guy, he was new in the school after all. Even if she was suspicious of him due to his voice being similar to Strayed's, that was no reason not to help him out when he needed it. "Wait for me at the stairs."

_'I got you some time, Lelouch. The rest is up to you.'_ Hawk thought as he nodded and walked towards the stairs in question. _'But why did his power not work? Is it one use per person only? Or did he just use it up and lost it?'_

The tension between the two of them and Kallen accumulated all throughout the day. The girl tied things pretty quickly since Lelouch's voice also sounded familiar, very similar to Strayed's boss. Could it be? Were they both in the Academy like her? And had Hawk gotten her away of the black haired student to prevent her from finding out? She needed answers, as soon as possible. Unfortunately for her, they were both part of the Student Council, so they had to leave for the council room since it was Hawk's first day there. Kallen made a point to confront both of them about it as soon as she could. She was determined to have this solved before the end of the week.

Once Student Council was over, Lelouch followed Hawk to the house he had obtained, soon going down to the basement where the Lynx had stored the Sky Ruler. The massive machine was disassembled inside the room, both arms were on the floor, the legs reclined against the wall, and the torso and head hanging from the ceiling with thick metal cables. There were a lot of tools all over the place, a few tables, a couch that could serve as a bed if necessary and a small bathroom. There was also an elevator mechanism that could take the Sky Ruler into the old Subway tracks to head out undetected whenever necessary.

"You really got all this in just one day?" Lelouch asked bewildered at the amount of material in there. "How?"

"Looked for it on the internet." Hawk chuckled, knowing how stupid it actually sounded, as he took out the uniform's jacket and got behind a curtain, changing into an outfit that made him look like a mechanic. "Although the tools, repair material and the rest were already here, Lord Ashford said it was a present."

"And no one will know about this?" Lelouch asked, incredulous. "I find that hard to believe."

"Oh, you'd be surprised at what a bit of money can do for you when given to the right people. Britannia puts the League's corruption to shame if you ask me." Hawk then bit his tongue at the slip, knowing he had just given Lelouch more than enough reasons to ask uncomfortable questions, questions he would have preferred to wait before answering. "Ignore that one, please?"

"I'm afraid I can't, you know a lot of who I am and my implication in this mess, I'm afraid I want answers." His eye flashed with the bird symbol as Hawk went about to bringing down the NEXT's torso to work on it. "Easy way or hard way, your choice."

"As amusing as you threatening me with that power of yours is, Your Highness…" Hawk's voice drawled for a second there. "Coming head on against someone who could kill you without making eye contact is not the best plan." The raven haired exile took a step back when the Lynx came out of the NEXT's back and walked to another of the tables, getting two small cases and throwing them his way. "Besides, I never said I wouldn't tell you, I just would have preferred to wait a little longer. Here, catch."

"What's this?" Lelouch asked, catching the two CDs that Hawk had thrown at him. They were labelled as Strayed's Mission Record (League) and Strayed's Mission Record (ORCA).

"I don't have the time to tell you all of it, as you can surely understand, Your Highness." Hawk explained as he grabbed a few tools on the table before going back to whatever he was doing behind his NEXT's torso. "So I'm counting on you watching that. Take your time, they're pretty long."

"So this is your story, huh?" The exiled Prince eyed the two CDs suspiciously. "Complete and uncensored as well?"

"Nothing has been changed, in those CDs are the direct video feeds from the Sky Ruler and my previous NEXTS, along with the com logs and the briefing for each mission and a few aclarations I and my operator made for the reports to my superiors." Several clangs were heard as the Lynx spoke, but Lelouch did not ask what they were. The mercenary then added. "Two things though. First, you need an open mind to believe what you'll be seeing, and you'll probably end up with more questions than the ones you have now. Questions I will not answer if I don't want to." His tone was dead serious, leaving no room for argument. "And second, keep the volume down or use headphones. I wouldn't like it if you woke up everyone in your house while taking a look at my story, it's kind of explosive... Literally."

"Are you sure about this? Isn't this a question you'd rather not answer?" Lelouch was pretty surprised at the ease with which this man was giving him everything and not asking for anything in return.

"Pretty kind of you to say that, considering you threatened me with that power of yours a second ago." He chuckled dryly as he worked. "Consider it a thank you. You got us all out of there alive." The Lynx added before a snap was heard. "There, that should fix it, now to run a couple checks and a simulation."

"I'll be going then." Lelouch smiled nervously as he eyed the disks while the Lynx closed the small opening that let him work on the engine of his machine before walking towards the front of the torso. "This is no bomb or something like that, right?"

"Lelouch, if I wanted you dead I would have killed you already and be done with it." Hawk stated flatly as he sat in the cockpit and had SKAI run checks on the fix he had just made. "No harm will come to you from that, except a night without sleep or two."

"I understand." The exiled Prince waved goodbye just as Hawk shouted that it finally worked. He wasn't sure about what it was that worked, but he was glad to have the guy on his side. Plus, he was pretty likeable as long as you didn't rub him the wrong way or threatened him.

Lelouch got back to the school slightly anxious to find out what exactly he had been given. Although that anxiety did not prevent him from acting lovingly towards his sister Nunnally when he arrived. The two of them had dinner, served by their Eleven maid, Sayoko, and chatted happily for a while after they were done. Whenever he was with Nunnally, most of the exile's anxiety vanished.

"Is there anything you wish for, Nunnally?" Lelouch asked after having listened to his sister talking about the paper cranes she was making, and how making a thousand of them would grant one wish.

"I wish the world was a gentler place for everyone." She replied after feigning to think for a few seconds.

"I'm sure that when you can finally see again, it will be." Lelouch replied with a kind smile as his mind raced through the biggest problem he had ever had in his life.

_'Our future is not exactly welcoming, there aren't many paths for us to take right now. If the Ashford family were to stop protecting us, everyone would walk away from us, even those that call themselves my friends.'_ The black haired teen thought as he and his sister made a pinky promise, one that ended up in him swearing not to lie. _'Before something like that happens and we end up political tools or casualties of someone else's ambition, I need to change this world into one where at least Nunnally can find happiness. No matter what the cost.'_

A few minutes later, Nunnally was yawning and Lelouch took her to bed. He stayed with her until she fell asleep and caressed his beloved sister's cheek before leaving towards his room. Once he was inside, the raven haired teen locked the door and walked towards his desk, turning on his computer as he took a seat.

"Well then, let's see what your story is, Strayed." He mused aloud as he inserted the first CD in the computer and put on headphones just like the mercenary had told him. Readying the list for reproduction. "This is…" He muttered as the first video played out, the video summarizing the National Dismantlement War as the voice talking called it.

What followed had Lelouch rooted to his seat for hours, and he even had a five minute delay when the first CD was over, his mind going into overload as he realized that all he had been shown seemed like out of a science fiction book or one of those Eleven robot animation series that sometimes came out on TV, in their Britannian Dub version, of course. Had Hawk tried to fool him? He soon discarded that notion, the machines were way too similar to the one he used so all these things had happened. The Sky Ruler's existence was physical proof of it.

Almost in a trance like state, Lelouch introduced the second and last CD as he recalled the last mission shown in the first one. If Britannia ever managed to create a weapon as destructive as those Sol Dios Cannons, everything would fall under the Emperor's rule in no time.

The second CD was shorter in material, only containing eight video archives. Lelouch put all the videos in the playlist in order, being soon shown the message the ORCA leader, a man named Maximilian Thermidor, had sent to the Lynx after the battle against the Sol Dios Orbit. He was surprised at learning what it was that had motivated this ORCA Brigade the Lynx was the sole survivor of, and had to admit they were similar to himself. Willing to change the world through whatever means necessary, although their reasons were slightly unrealistic for him.

Then, it came to the massacres the Sky Ruler had caused in the main facilities of these Cradles, known as Arteria. The black and white NEXT was finally making an appearance in the files. For the whole length of the first CD, Hawk had used three different NEXTs that Lelouch hadn't recognized, named Eternal, Saber and Will Force in order of appearance.

He was astounded as he looked on while the black and white unit fought against armies on its own and won, dodging bullets, missiles and all sort of weaponry as he took out the enemy turrets and machines. What he had seen before was nothing in comparison with what he was seeing now. The Sky Ruler was also displaying abilities far beyond what he had seen, like the flight capability, firing all weapons at once, the usage of flash grenades mounted on the shoulders and some sort of energy shield similar to the one used by that damn white Knightmare that surrounded the unit entirely. Was any of those things the one Hawk had repaired earlier?

Then it got to Old King's message. Like Hawk had been, Lelouch was outraged at the man's words. In a revolution blood was to be spilled, yes. And he was willing to spill as much blood as necessary in his quest to change the world, but he would never go and kill people for the sake of killing! That was just barbaric and would never accomplish anything.

The exiled Prince found himself sighing gladly when the man's NEXT had been taken out by Hawk himself before he and his autonomous drones managed to send the Cradles crashing down onto the surface, even if that operation had revealed the location of ORCA's secret weapon. Not that it mattered too much, since Strayed and a heavy looking white unit had taken care of defending the weapons at the cost of the latter's life. The ORCA Brigade had been slowly but surely losing its members one by one, but they were accomplishing their objectives at the same time.

Then he witnessed the Answerer's might, putting the Sol Dios Orbit to shame, and his admiration for the mercenary grew ten-fold when he finally managed to take it down, having his unit almost in shambles but alive and functional. The next and final mission was the one in the Arteria Cranium, he watched on as the two on one battle took place until the biggest of the enemy NEXTs, identified as My Bliss, bit the dust and Hawk engaged against the fast, bronze colored one, finally defeating it and having a few words with the female pilot in it.

"Alright, that's very informative. I think I'm starting to understand what you meant about an open mind, what you're trying to tell me is not something easy to accept but I still need to know… How did you get here?" Lelouch muttered to himself, not realizing the sun was coming out on the horizon. This was the last archive in the CD, there had to be something else that explained that point.

As if on cue, the feed continued, revealing that the enemy had one last ace in the hole. Hawk met it head on and fought valiantly as everyone left in the ORCA Brigade died around him until he finally managed to take out the second Answerer Arms Fort while the Batteries fired and the objective was completed. He saw the blinding green explosion take place and then, nothing.

Lelouch opened the text file, expecting his answers there

"Big brother, are you awake?" Nunnally's voice got him out of the trance state he had gone into at the end. "Breakfast will be ready soon."

"I… I'll be right there, Nunnally." Lelouch told her in a shaky voice as he stood, stumbling and almost falling on the floor due to how stiff his body was at the moment. "He was right, if he had told me any of this back in that truck I would have taken him for a mad man. But this… he couldn't have faked it, and I've seen that machine of his with my own eyes. As improbable as it may sound, there's no other explanation available. I have no choice but to accept that I have met someone from an alternate Earth."

Lelouch somehow managed to make it to school that day, he even managed to find the reason his power had failed by using a passing by teacher as a test subject, concluding his power was one use per person only, and used a few classes to catch some shuteye without anyone noticing. So by the time it was time for history class, he was ready to read out loud for the whole class. The exiled Prince did notice that Kallen had been paying a lot of attention to both him and Hawk as the day progressed and knew he was running out of time to prove her wrong of her suspicions about the two. And he also needed a good long chat with the mercenary as soon as possible. The exiled Prince got his chance the moment they came out of the student council room.

"So, are you full of questions?" Hawk chuckled as he eyed Lelouch carefully. "You haven't even said a thing in the whole day, even during the meeting."

"I still have trouble believing what I saw, no offense." The Lynx indicated that none taken and Lelouch continued. "And as much as I'd like to ask how in the world you people ended up as badly as you did, that is none of my business." Another nod from the NEXT pilot. "What I need to know is, why do you want to change this world as well?"

"Britannia reminds me way too much of the League, things will get bad for everyone if it continues this way." Hawk explained with a tired expression. "I want to stop it. Call me a fool if you want, but I come from a ruined world, Lelouch, a world ruled by people that only care about how fat their pockets are no matter what it brings. Understand that I don't want to stand idly by and let another follow the same path."

"And you are helping me because?"

"There's one thing that tells you and I apart, Lelouch." The mercenary started. "I'm a fighter that can lead and you're a leader that can fight."

"So you're saying you can't do it without me."

"In short, yes." Hawk sighed as he scratched the back of his head and chuckled drily. "I mean, sure. I could go and beat the ever living crap out of the Emperor in the Sky Ruler… and then what?"

"Wars all over the world, rebellions, hostages, murder, betrayal…" Lelouch started listing. "It would be like Dash's coronation all over. A game of cloak and dagger that could last forever, a far worse situation than the one we're in."

"Exactly, which is why I'm looking for a way to do it right, and you are that way as far as I can tell." Lelouch looked at the Lynx in the eye as he pointed his finger at him. "When you asked me to join you in the Ghetto, I saw it. You have the potential to change everything, and I'm willing to bet on that potential."

"I see, your actions are now much clearer to me." Lelouch chuckled with a confident smile on his face. "Your help will be greatly appreciated, Hawk Magnus." A few seconds later, his face became serious. "Still, we have something to take care of."

"I'm still for telling her who we are, or at least who I am."

"Actually, that might not be so bad." Lelouch stated as a plan formed slowly in his mind, he could clear the suspicions on him with this, and Hawk could do it his way at the same time. "This is what we'll do…"

xxxxxxxxxxx

A day later, during lunch break, Kallen managed to go to the roof alone, leaving her friends behind. She brought out her cellphone and called Ohgi, using their secure line through an attachable part for the phone. The line beeped a couple times before the Resistance leader took it.

"Hey, Kallen." He greeted. "How's school?"

"To be honest, boring. I had history class the other day, filled with lies about Japan, as usual." The girl explained in a bored tone. "I really think I should be there with you guys."

"No, it's better you stay in the Settlement while the military is on high alert, we wouldn't want you to get caught." The black haired leader told her. "Besides, Naoto would be happy to know you went back to school."

"But what about Strayed and his boss?" Kallen said with a bit of anger. "If we find those two then..."

"Look, Kallen, you can't just go around looking for two voices and hope you'll be lucky." Ohgi lectured as if he was still a school teacher. "Forget about it for now, I'll contact you later tonight."

_'Even if you tell me that, until I'm sure about those two…'_ She thought as she planned her next move. He needed to get each of them alone and ask them, at knife point if necessary. "I need to get them by surprise and then..."

"Get who?" Hawk's voice caught her by surprise. The guy was standing right by her side and she hadn't even noticed him. "Seriously Kallen, you need to pay more attention or you won't last out there, whether you're in a Glasgow or not."

"What?" She asked, taken aback.

"By the way, I did get the gun I lent you back, so no worries." Hawk continued as the dumbstruck girl realized he had just revealed himself to be Strayed and was giving even further proof.

"So it really was you." She started carefully, getting her hidden knife in her hand. "I knew your voice was familiar."

"Yeah, I noticed you looking at me weird these past days, which is why I decided to tell you." The Lynx explained, he could only hope that Lelouch's part of the plan would work. He was glad he had let him do it his way though. Hawk felt no need to hide himself from future allies, especially one as promising as Kallen. "You've been busy with that, haven't you?"

"And is Lelouch Lamperouge your boss?" Kallen asked, just as the man in question had predicted. "You two seem to get along and you supposedly just met."

"Lelouch? As in the guy in our class, the Vice-President of the Student Council?" Hawk feigned ignorance and shrugged. "Yeah, he's an okay guy but that's not it, he was just the one that helped me out on my first day and we bonded fast."

"Then who exactly are you working for?"

"I'm a mercenary, Kallen, and I took the job offer from the guy I call boss now. This school is my cover for as long as I stay, and I have no idea about who I'm working for apart from the fact that he's nothing short of a tactical genius." He chuckled dryly. "Plus, he calls whenever he wants and there's no way to trace the call back to him no matter what I do."

"You take jobs without knowing who's paying for them?" The redhead asked, bewildered. "That's sort of risky, isn't it?"

"It is, yeah." The mercenary nodded in reply, continuing with the conversation. "But it's also the only way to get the money to maintain the Sky Ruler, so I take them as long as I agree with what I'm supposed to do."

"That does make sense, I guess." The frail looking girl replied as the bell sounded. "I still have a ton of questions for you, but we should go back to class."

"Before we do that, why do you suspect Lelouch?" Hawk asked even though he knew the answer, but he needed to cement the position he had just gained.

"His voice is very similar to your boss'." Kallen replied, slightly surprised. "You didn't notice?"

"Well, now that you mention it, they are slightly similar." The Lynx agreed with a hand on his chin. "But let me tell you, I'm in the Student Council with the guy and he doesn't really look like someone who would stand on a battlefield and start giving orders, he's more on the frail side if you ask me."

"I'll just have to ask him myself then." Kallen huffed as they both walked back to class, if she had been right about Strayed then she was probably right about his boss' identity. The moment they got back to class, they were received by a fair amount of squeals from Kallen's friends at the fact that they had come back together. "It's nothing like that!" She shouted at them, still managing to keep the sickly look and voice.

"Nice move, new guy." Rivalz told Hawk as he approached his seat while the girls kept Kallen busy. "A bit sheltered if you ask me, but we all have our preferences."

Resisting the urge to knock the blue haired fool out with a punch, Hawk nodded at Lelouch, indicating that the first part of the plan was done and that only Lelouch's move was left, it was just a matter of timing now. Classes continued on until the day was almost over an the exiled Prince stood before walking towards Kallen and Hawk, who were surrounded by the girl's friends and being bombarded with rather stupid questions.

"Could you come with me, please?" The raven haired boy said to pretty much everyone's surprise. "There's something we need to talk about."

"Of course." Kallen replied, surprising the class further. "I was going to ask you to accompany me as well."

They both left as Hawk looked on with an unreadable expression on his face while the girls around him talked to each other hurriedly about what had happened, gossiping like crazy about the possible meaning behind it. The Lynx stood up, gathered his things and got out of the classroom just as Milly Ashford approached, wearing an apron for whatever reason.

"Lelouch has taken Kallen there already, huh?" The blond President mused with a grin. "Well, come on, don't just stand there. Get going to the ballroom."

"Uh… why?" Hawk asked as Shirley, Nina and Rivalz joined them.

"Just go already, we'll be there soon." Milly commanded enthusiastically, and the Lynx could only obey.

The mercenary walked down the corridor and reached the room in question, only to find Lelouch and Kallen there, both were pretty surprised to see him and what followed the Lynx's arrival didn't help. Milly Ashford, accompanied by the remaining three members of the Student Council, entered the ballroom pushing a tray loaded with food for some obscure purpose.

"Madam President, what are you…?" Lelouch managed to get out as he and the other two students looked on while the rest of the Student Council readied a banquet for apparently no reason.

"Oh, isn't that why you brought her here, Lelouch?" The Student Council President asked in surprise. "I thought you already knew about this, in fact, Rivalz should have told you."

"About what?" Hawk asked this time.

"Well, my grandfather suggested we got Kallen into the Student Council due to her sickness not letting her join any clubs." The blond girl explained as she set the plates on the tables. "And since we still hadn't celebrated Hawk joining us as much as I'd like, I decided to combine both events today in one big dinner party."

The rest of the council then introduced themselves to Kallen, who greeted them as politely as she could. The introduction was interrupted soon as a brown haired girl in a wheelchair approached them, carrying a couple pizza boxes and a few sweets on her lap.

"I'm sorry, Shirley. Could you please set this on a table for me?" She asked with a kind smile and the orangette went to do exactly that as Kallen wondered who she was.

"That's Lelouch's little sister." Milly Ashford explained with a small smile.

"Even if she's only in middle school, she's an honorary member of the council." Rivalz added with a grin before going somewhere else.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kallen." The brown haired girl said, still smiling kindly.

"Likewise." The redhead replied, smiling as well.

The nice atmosphere was soon disrupted by Rivalz, who had come back with a bottle of champagne in hand. The blue haired boy had a happy grin on his face while the rest of the council had mixed expressions concerning the presence of the liquor.

"So, should we greet our two newest members with a toast?" Rivalz suggested as he laughed while Shirley and Nina looked at him slightly taken aback and ready to object on the matter. "Oh, come on you two, you need to loosen up." He stated as he started to open the bottle.

"No, we can't drink that." Shirley chastised as she and Rivalz started fighting for the bottle in question while Milly told Nunnally to ignore them and drink some orange juice.

"Hey, Hawk, catch!" Rivalz threw the bottle towards the Lynx, who caught it in surprise and narrowly avoided Shirley as the girl charged at him.

"Hey, don't get me into the mess." He told the blue haired boy before ultimately deciding to follow up with the idea, no harm in doing so anyway. "Oh, well. Lelouch!"

"Huh? Wait, what…?" The raven haired student caught the bottle in time, but he was unable to dodge Shirley's charge and they both fell on the floor in an awkward position. It was exactly at that moment that the bottle decided to pop itself open, as if to draw the attention off the two blushing teens and give them time to separate.

The cork flew towards Kallen, who slapped it out of her face by sheer reflex. What she didn't foresee was the champagne bursting out of the bottle and soaking her to the bone as the rest of the council looked on.

"Would you please tell me where I can get a shower?" She asked as she glared at the three boys, who were looking rather apologetic.

"Sure, I'll take you there and get your clothes in the cleaner." Milly replied with a nervous smile. "In the meantime, Lelouch, go get some clothes for her. And Hawk and Rivalz will clean up once we're done. It'll be your punishment." The three boys grunted, but did not argue.

Knowing this was his chance to do what he had planned despite the interruption, Lelouch decided to put the final phase of the plan into action. Hawk stayed with the others while he got the clothes Kallen needed and gave Sayoko her orders and the recording device where he had stored the different sentences, basing himself on what he had predicted the girl would do and say. Knowing how impulsive she actually was made it so much easier to plan that point, as impulsive people tended to react in a certain pattern he knew well.

"It's me, I brought you some clothes." Lelouch explained after he knocked on the bathroom's door. "They're mine, but I think they'll do until your uniform is clean."

"Come in, the curtain's drawn already." Kallen replied as she showered. "Thanks."

"I apologize for what happened." The exiled Prince continued. "Things can get a bit out of control in the council, especially with Milly in charge and Rivalz around."

"Don't worry about it, it was fun in its own way." She replied dismissively as she wondered whether or not to bring up the matter of Strayed's boss. "That was really fast, by the way. Did you go to get them at the dorms and came back in such a short time?"

"Actually, both Nunnally and I live here." The raven haired boy told her. "It'd be pretty hard for her to be in the dorms, the Principal lets us stay here as a favor, a pretty big one."

"I see…" She muttered and after a few seconds she noticed he was about to leave. "Wait a moment!" She got his attention with that and showed her hand. "Could you give me that pouch over there? I need it."

"Sure." Lelouch took the pink pouch in his hands and handed it to her, only for the girl to grab his arm, making him let go of the pouch in question. "Can I know what this is all about?"

"Tell me, were you the one in Shinjuku the other day?" Kallen asked, not beating around the bush.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb, you mentioned Shinjuku yesterday." Kallen told him sternly.

"I did, but why does it make you so nervous?" Lelouch feigned ignorance, getting on the girl's already strained nerves.

"Don't answer my question with a question!" The redhead commanded, taking the pouch in her free hand and revealing a hidden knife. "Yes or no, which one is it?"

Just before the boy replied, the school phone rang, getting their attention. After a nod from the girl, Lelouch took the phone and replied, he made sure to look surprised at the voice he was supposedly hearing. After a few seconds of pretending to be listening to someone, Lelouch turned to Kallen.

"It's for you, he says you'll recognize him easily." He told her, handing her the phone. The redhead looked at him with suspicion in her eyes, but soon resigned and let go of the pink pouch, taking the phone and approaching it to her ear.

"Who is it?" She asked, curious about the caller's identity.

"Hello there, Q-1." Strayed's boss was the one on the other side of the line much to her surprise. "I'm glad you are still alive, Strayed told me about it just a day ago when I contacted him, he didn't give any names but it wasn't too hard to find you." There was a pause before the voice added. "I trust the others also made it out of there alive."

Kallen's mind almost collapsed then and there, she was almost sure that Lelouch was Strayed's mysterious boss, but he couldn't be in two places at once. She had him right there with her, and he had even answered the phone call before handing over the antique device. Therefore, the only explanation was that she had been wrong. Paying a bit more attention to the student standing there she realized that Hawk was right, the Student Council Vice-president didn't really look like someone who would be able to stand on the battlefield and order people around, and this call was all the proof she needed to be finally sure that he was not the one she was looking for.

"You don't need to answer, but if you want to know more about my motives and identity, follow these instructions." The voice continued after her lack of reply "I want you to be on the observation deck of Tokyo Tower. Be there the day after tomorrow, at 1600 hours, and bring Strayed with you. You can also bring as many of your friends from the Resistance as you want."

"Wait a minute, hold on! Who are you?! How did you arrange for that ceasefire?!" She asked, completely forgetting that Lelouch was there and not realizing that she strained the phone's cord, opening the curtain and showing everything, but the voice did not reply, he hung up instead. "Hey, don't hang up on me!"

"Ceasefire, what are you talking about?" Lelouch mused out loud, snapping the girl back to reality. "You seem to keep some strange company, Miss Stadfelt."

"Oh, no. That was just…" She started, trying to come up with a believable excuse.

"Let me guess, an online game?" The raven haired teen suggested much to her relief. "I suppose having been shut at home would encourage you to play a few of those."

"Yeah, you got me." Kallen smiled, embarrassed but glad that he had led himself away from the truth. "Please, don't tell anyone."

"I won't." Lelouch assured her with a smile. "You see, that was the reason I told you not to bring up Shinjuku. Many people in the school are going around showing footage at the mention of it and it's really creepy. I figured you wouldn't know."

"I see. I suppose I should thank you for that." Kallen replied, a lot more relaxed and finally letting go of him.

"You do realize the curtain's half open, right?" Lelouch told her, not looking in her direction at all. "I didn't see anything, so don't worry."

The girl reacted fast at his words, throwing the phone at the teen's head and closing the curtain in one swift move that would have surprised many due to how fast it had happened. Lelouch picked himself up from the floor with a grunt of pain and said he'd wait outside after he had put the phone back in place.

The raven haired teen reclined on the wall, gently caressing the bump on back of his head as Hawk appeared around the corner and gave him the device he had given Sayoko to fool Kallen through the phone. Both boys waited patiently and in silence until the girl was out of the bath and clad in Lelouch's clothes, which seemed to fit her well.

The group of three walked down the corridor back to the ballroom. Both boys were taking turns explaining what the council was about, Lelouch talking far more than Hawk considering the difference in experience on the matter, but the brown haired Lynx was adding his two cents from time to time.

"And what's up with all the weird festivals?" He asked for both Kallen and him after Lelouch finished listing all the celebrations Milly had added to the school calendar, celebrations he hadn't heard about until today despite having been in the Council for a couple days already.

"Blame the President and her tastes." The Student Council veteran replied with a nervous smile as they reached the ballroom. "You'll be spending a lot of time with her, I hope you'll be ready for that."

"Lelouch, it's awful!" Nunnally said as they entered, her voice sounded quite sad and more importantly, distressed.

"What happened?" The three of them asked at the same time.

"Prince Clovis has been found dead." Shirley explained with a hint of fear. "They say he was murdered."

"Prince Clovis was taken away from us!" Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald proclaimed from the TV. "He died a martyr, fighting against the evil that are the Elevens. Still, we must carry on and fulfill his will and last wishes, for the glory of the Empire."

"We have breaking news." A woman's voice interrupted the broadcast as the image changed to one of a beaten up, brown haired Japanese boy being carried away by various Britannian soldiers. "The man suspected of murdering prince Clovis, Suzaku Kururugi, an Honorary Britannian, has been caught. I repeat, Suzaku Kururugi, main suspect of Prince Clovis' murder has been caught and imprisoned for murder, he will attend his trial in three days."

"What?!" Both Hawk and Lelouch shouted at the same time, eyes wide open. That was not possible, Suzaku had been killed in front of their eyes, even if he hadn't been killed by the shot, without medical attention he should have bled to death, and those soldiers would not have taken him to an infirmary or anything like that even if their life depended on it.

"Oh no…" Nunnally muttered to herself in fear.

Lelouch and Hawk looked at each other and nodded, the exchange was unnoticed by anyone else, even Kallen herself. The celebration was cut short after the news of what had happened, but Kallen still stayed until her clothes were ready. She and Hawk both left at the same time, the Lynx offering to walk her home but she declined, she had a lot to think about and despite how many questions she had for him, today wasn't a good day. She had agreed to take the Lynx to the Resistance hideout the next day, although she was unsure about whether or not that was the best idea but she could talk about it with Ohgi when she got home.

"See you tomorrow then." Hawk told her as they reached the point where their paths diverged. "Also, 1600 hours at Tokyo Tower in two days. You'll remember, right?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Kallen replied curtly, eager to get inside her bed.

"Well then, I wonder if he'll finally allow me to know who he is." Hawk mused as he waved goodbye and walked to his home. "I hate doing things like that." He told himself once he was inside. He walked down the stairs to the basement and answered the call he was receiving in his computer. "Good to see you again, oh mysterious boss." He mocked.

"You better get used to it." Lelouch told him through the ORCA channel they were using to communicate. "Now, why did you want to contact me like this?"

"You see, I have a favor to ask." He told him flatly. "And it's not like I can ask for it in school."

"And that would be?"

"A bit of advanced payment, so to speak. Your talents would be appreciated in getting me something to load into my weapons." Hawk explained, pointing at Lelouch's eye and then gesturing towards the assembled Sky Ruler. "Knightmare Frame ammo will do, believe it or not it's the same size as the one I need."

"And a few flash rockets, like the ones used by the Knight Police, right?" Lelouch added, remembering the usual tactics the Sky Ruler employed against powerful enemy machines. "I'll see what I can do about it, I do know a few people that could get us that."

"So, when can you have it for me?"

"In consideration of your excellent services in Shinjuku, I'll have it sent to you tomorrow afternoon." Lelouch replied as he made a mental note to visit a couple of his chess rivals the next day. "Was that all?"

"Yes. By the way, I thought I should tell you..." He added almost absentmindedly but with a big smile on his face. "That the Sky Ruler can finally live up to its name." And he hung up.

Inside his room, Lelouch Lamperouge sat still for five seconds before starting to laugh uncontrollably, imagining the look on every Britannian soldier's face the day they faced off against a flying unit that could wipe out armies on its own. A unit that would have all its weapons loaded and ready in about twenty-four hours. The laughing soon stopped as he remembered the plight his childhood friend Suzaku was in. He needed to help him out, but how?

"As easy as sending Strayed to do the job would be… I have a better idea." He stated as he started using his most powerful asset, his brain.

* * *

And done. I've tried my best to make it interesting and I can only hope I have succeeded in the effort. Next chapter we'll get into Zero's debut (Yay!) and Strayed will get some action, but not in the Sky Ruler. Be warned, though, that I plan to deepen his relationship with the Resistance members there, mainly Ohgi and Kallen, so a big part of the chapter will be them interacting with Strayed. Lelouch will have his spotlight, as always, and I plan to make things good.

Also, Lloyd being a teacher at Ashford was inspired by his Manga incarnation, who works there part time as his cover. I decided to use that because it would make a lot of things I have in mind easier to happen. Likewise, the mention of Dash's coronation is a nod to an ongoing Code Geass Spin-Off named Shikoku no Renya, in which this character appears and bears a huge resemblance to Lelouch, depicting an internal struggle in the Royal Family after the death of the Emperor and the various factions intending to gain control of the Empire. I have no idea how it will end but I decided to assume that Dash would end up Emperor, if only to just go Zero Requiem in the end.

As a side note, I should tell you that I'm a bit of a Tamaki hater, expect him to get into trouble more often than in the actual show, or simply criticised and made fun of, and to be on the receiving end of something bad, but don't worry, he's not going to die. He's like Patrick Colassour from Gundam 00, annoying like a fly and about as immortal as C.C. (Now there's an idea for a crack fic if anyone's looking for that, an Immortal Tamaki forever pestering an Immortal Lelouch)

Well then, before I go further off tangent, please tell me what you thought of this chapter. I know thanks to your reviews I got the fighting part handled nicely, now I need you to tell me how I handle writing the plot.


	5. Chapter 04: His Name is Zero!

Took me a while, didn't it? I hadn't expected the chapter to end up being so long. I'm in the midst of finals, so writing this was sort of hard.

Thanks to everyone that read, followed, favorited and/or reviewed.

To the Reviewers:

**RoyalTwinFangs**: That's on R2, which is pretty far away, but I will reply to the best of my ability. The Ikaruga will be slightly upgraded and overall more useful to have around. The Black Knights will have their own NEXTs for a few ace pilots, designed by Strayed and a couple more characters we'll get to know soon, by R2 as well, along with a few AC based Normals. I already have plans for them, so I'm afraid the Zenith are going to have to be left out.

**Criticanon**: Thanks again for pointing out that mistake and for the review. I won't be dedicating too many flashbacks to explain Strayed's past, only whenever I need to explain a turning point in his life and way of thinking. Let's remember that he started off as a Lynx of Collared affiliated to Rosenthal, it takes more than just a bit of faith and a will to protect humanity to throw all that out the window and fight against the whole world.  
I hope this chapter will feel refreshing as well and that you will enjoy it.

**brave kid/korat 5**: I address you both in the same reply because I would have just written the same thing twice otherwise: Glad you liked it and here's hoping you'll like this one as well.

**cj1of4**: Oh, he's going to get mad about the whole flying thing, you can be sure about that. As for the whole suspecting each other, it's happening behind the scenes, but once they get a good, close up look at the machine, they'll quickly realize that it's not the other's invention. And I assure you those mission files are going to be put to good use, we all know Lelouch is not the kind of person to just watch those once and leave them be, he's going to suck those CDs dry of different strategies, and will probably realize a few things that he wouldn't have seen without the additional knowledge of the battlefield's workings he has been provided with. More on that in a chapter or two.

**Sieben Nightwing**: I understand what you mean, but you should also notice that I, as narrator or author, have not once stated that Raven was dead (If I actually have, please point it out as it's a big mistake on my part.) Strayed said it because it's what he believes to be true, nothing more. And considering the biggest explosion I have ever written ended up not killing its intended target, I'm afraid Raven would be immortal like C.C. if left in my hands. Still, you won't be seeing him here, sorry.

**Illium Caderyn**: Thanks for the praise, here's the update. Glad you like both the story and the pairings and here's hoping you'll enjoy this chapter too. Kojima contamination is an issue I'm still working with, but I'll try to come up with something believable. There's still time until the Primal Armor comes back, quite a lot in fact.

* * *

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Code Geass or any of its spin-offs, nor do I own anything related to the Armored Core franchise, unless you count my copy of the Armored Core For Answer game, that I do own. All I own that is shown in this story are Hawk Magnus, the design of his NEXT/s, the K-Filter and the SKAI computer installed in it.

* * *

**Chapter 04: His Name is Zero!**

The news about Prince Clovis' death had taken mostly everyone by surprise, especially the Resistance cells all around the country formerly known as Japan. Even the most powerful group backing those organizations, known as Kyoto, was dumbfounded at the finding. And even more when they learned who had supposedly done it. All the heads that formed the supreme council of Kyoto were fully aware that Suzaku Kururugi was not the kind of man to just go and murder the third Prince in cold blood, even if most of the Japanese people would thank him for the deed.

Inside the hideout where Kallen's Resistance cell had its base, Ohgi was having a heated discussion with Tamaki, or rather being on the receiving end of a shouting voice far louder and annoying than biologically possible for any human except that one. Ohgi could only thank whatever divine beings were around when the man whose opinion changed like the results of a coin toss left, stomping his way out of the room.

"I wish you were still here, Naoto…" Kaname Ohgi thought aloud as he eyed the photo on the desk, depicting himself, Kallen and her brother, Naoto Kouzuki. "I'm not cut out to be a leader, I wish we had someone more capable."

"Hey, Kallen!" Tamaki yelled outside the room, getting the whole Resistance's attention. "Who the hell's that guy and why's he here?!"

"Look, he wanted to meet you all even though I told him it would be a bad idea." The redhead explained as Ohgi came out to the main room, having an idea of who their mysterious visitor was. He soon set his eyes on the brown haired teen by the girl's side, dressed in black clothes and a brown leather jacket with an eagle emblem over the heart.

"Well, who is he exactly?" A blue haired woman named Inoue asked impatiently.

"A pleasure to meet you all." The boy in question started, taking a step forward. "We've met before but last time I couldn't show my face around. I'm Hawk Magnus, also known as Strayed."

"Strayed!" The whole Resistance was in shock at the information.

"Come on kid, stop joking." Tamaki spat, eyeing the black clad teen angrily while Kallen took the sideline much to her displeasure, but Hawk had asked her to let him talk with the others on his own. "I know how that guy moved that machine of his, there's no way a fragile looking boy like you could be that pilot."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you with my looks." Hawk chuckled while holding his own against the man's glare. "The boss wants a meeting, by the way, that's what Kallen and I came to tell you."

"Hey, don't ignore me!" The rowdy man moved in for a punch, only to be tripped by Kallen before he could reach the guy. "What was that for?!"

"He's telling the truth, you idiot!" The redhead shouted, looking down on him. "I've even seen the Sky Ruler hidden under his house, if you need to know, he showed it to me today."

"Wait, Sky Ruler?" Another member asked, eyes wide open. "What's that?"

"The name of my NEXT." Hawk explained with a shrug, and when everyone else looked at him blankly he added. "That's how that type of machine is called, Armored Core NEXT, AC or NEXT for short."

"How many of those are there anyway?" A third member Hawk didn't know asked. "I think I speak for everyone when I say we've never heard that name before."

"To my knowledge, mine's the only one left." The mercenary replied, looking down. "And I doubt we'll see more than that one around any time soon."

"And… what's up with the name?" Ohgi asked, and the rest of the Resistance nodded, even Kallen herself. "Or are you going to tell us something as massive as that can actually fly on its own, hence the name?"

"Exactly." The Lynx nodded, and realized they weren't taking him seriously. "Believe it or don't, whatever suits you guys better. The system was malfunctioning back in the Ghetto… Hell, over half of the systems were toast. But now it's more or less back to how it should be."

"I won't believe it until I see it." Tamaki spat as he dropped back onto the couch. "So what, you came in just to say hello and tell us your boss wants a meeting?"

"Mostly, but I like to know the people I'm going to have by my side in the future, so I asked Kallen to bring me here." The Lynx explained, sitting down in front of Ohgi. "We go to the same school and she practically nailed me by voice alone."

"Wait, you go to Ashford as well?" The Resistance leader asked in surprise, and Kallen nodded to the question. "Then, you're not Japanese, right?"

"No, I'm not." Hawk replied honestly. "Neither am I Britannian, by the way, although my profile says so. Hacking my identity into the mainframe and all…" He added dismissively as an explanation.

"I see…" The leader of the Resistance sat down as well, and the rest of the members followed suit. "What can you tell us about your boss? You two left before answering our questions, although it was understandable given the situation."

"Actually, I can't tell you more than what you know." Hawk replied, taking them by surprise. "You see, I'm a mercenary. That job was a blind one, I didn't know who gave it to me, other than he would need help and wanted you guys to win, or at least show the Brits what you could do."

"You mean you came to the Ghetto and told us to trust the guy without even knowing who the hell he was?!" Tamaki shouted, standing with his fists clenched in rage. "We could have died there, you know?!"

"And what did you want me to say?" The mercenary asked, his tone slightly mocking but serious at the same time. "Hi there, I'm going to help. By the way, this guy who I know nothing of that sent me here wants all of you to obey him because he says he can make us all win this battle just cuz?"

"Uuhh…" The leader coughed as Tamaki and the rest of the Resistance were left speechless. "Yeah, no one would have believed that."

"I'm sorry if it offended you all, but I needed to make sure you'd listen." The Lynx stood and bowed in apology for a few seconds.

"We all came out of it alive so I see no reason to hold it against him." Kallen stated firmly, and the rest of the Resistance nodded. "Now then, Strayed's boss wants us to be at Tokyo Tower tomorrow at 1600."

"Not all of us should go, we'll leave a few people behind to take care of things." Ohgi mused aloud. "We'll be getting a new Glasgow tomorrow from Kyoto after all."

"Your suppliers, huh?" The mercenary asked, getting a nod in reply. "Speaking of supplies, I should go back home, my own should be arriving pretty soon. The Sky Ruler was sucked dry of ammo the other day in Shinjuku, even the emergency weapons."

"Well then, see you tomorrow at school." Kallen told him as he stood and the boy smiled and waved goodbye to everyone before leaving.

"You two seemed really close, you know?" Tamaki teased with a perverted smile. "You even went to his house, huh? Our Kallen is growing up so fast." He sang out only to be knocked down by a fierce kick to the face from the now fuming girl as the rest of the Resistance face-palmed at his stupidity.

"None of your business!" She shouted as she left towards the other rooms.

Hawk got back to his house just in time to see a delivery truck parked right in front of it, and the driver was already ringing the doorbell. He ran forward and called out to the man, who turned and nodded. The driver gave him a few papers to sign for the goods and he did so gladly before the boxes were unloaded into the house and the delivery truck left just as his cellphone rang, it was Lelouch, unsurprisingly.

"I trust your payment arrived on schedule." The exiled Prince said from the other side of the line as Hawk secured the device on his ear.

"Yeah, just in time." Hawk replied, dragging the first of the boxes with him towards the basement. "I just came back from meeting the rest of the Resistance by the way."

"Oh." Lelouch tone sounded slightly interested. "And what do you think of them?"

"I couldn't really get to know them much, since I had little time thanks to Kallen gaping at my NEXT for almost half an hour, but their leader seemed to doubt himself a lot. The rest seemed pretty solid people, but still a bit inexperienced." Hawk explained as he kept dragging boxes one by one. "And that Tamaki guy was just like the human incarnation of an annoying fly." Lelouch chuckled at the comment and the annoyance in the Lynx's tone.

"And so, will they come to our meeting?" The raven haired student asked.

"Some of them will, it seems they're getting supplied tomorrow so not all of them will be available for your little act." He replied, dragging the last of boxes down the stairs. "What about Suzaku, do you have a plan for that?"

"I do, and it does not involve you going to the prison in the Sky Ruler and breaking him out, so don't get anxious." The Prince added with a smile. "You'll know tomorrow, like the rest of them."

"You know I could do that now that I have the ammunition for it." The mercenary stated coolly as he started loading the auxiliary weapons, the left Lare handgun being the first one. "But I assume we'll do this the theatrical way, not that I'm against it or anything."

"Like this power of mine, Geass, you also have your limitations and weak points." Lelouch explained simply. "And you're also an unknown factor in this war I plan to start, the longer your full power and capabilities remain hidden, the easier it will be to catch Britannia by surprise with the Sky Ruler's true might."

"Are you going to ask me something like 'Build one for me too'?" Hawk asked, his voice dead serious despite the childish tone in which he had asked the last part. "Although even if you did, I'm not sure if it would be possible to create a Kojima Engine on this world, mine may be the only one to ever exist here any time soon."

"That won't be necessary for now." The soon to be rebel leader replied with a smile. "I'll think about it once our resources are more stable and we get some decent supplies."

"Sounds legit." Hawk muttered as he finished loading the second Lare handgun and got it back into its holster at the back of the waist. "Well then, see you tomorrow at school, I have to prep this guy for whatever show you have in mind."

"Of course." Lelouch hung up and reclined on his chair. "Now then, I should go about my own preparations…" He stood up, ready to pay a visit to a certain crafter he knew.

That night, Hawk boarded the Sky Ruler and activated the battle/mission simulation program installed in SKAI. He wanted to get a good practice before going to sleep and he also wanted to run one final test on the NEXT's performance. The training program he activated was the hardest available, created by Kasumi Sumika herself, the simulator mission known as Occupation of Arteria Carpals. Even for someone as skilled as Hawk, fighting five of the strongest Lynx and their NEXTs at the same time was a challenge like no other, not to mention he had only cleared the simulation once before, the day before the Answerer appeared. But it was thanks to the countless hours dedicated to that one task that he had been capable of holding his own in the two against one encounter in the Arteria Cranium.

"I really need to thank her if we meet in the afterlife." Hawk mused as the five NEXTs approached his position in the simulated Arteria Carpals. "This is the best training program a pilot could wish for."

An hour later, Hawk exited the cockpit, satisfied with the victory he had managed to obtain at the last second, and walked towards his bed, where he dropped himself and fell asleep in a matter of one second as he thought that Otsdarva, Thermidor's alter ego, was truly a fearsome opponent, all the more when he had skilled people backing him up. Even though Hawk had defeated Thermidor in a one on one battle with relative ease when the ORCA Brigade decided to have a little competition in their ranks, he still thought of him as one of the most dangerous people to encounter on the other side of the battlefield, whether he piloted Stasis or Unsung.

The night passed and the Lynx woke up at dawn, showered and got into his uniform before walking towards the school. He didn't bother to take any material with him since today was Clovis' funeral, meaning there would be no classes either, only a speech from the Emperor and they'd be free to go. Free to go and see what Lelouch had planned for his introduction to the team, of course. The mercenary had to admit he was rather curious about what the exiled Prince had come up with.

The day passed, slowly, until it was time for the Emperor's speech. The whole student body stood firm inside the conference room where a massive TV screen displayed the image of Britannia's Emperor, Charles Zi Britannia. The massive man looked like made out of muscle in stark contrast to Lelouch, who seemed to have been born rather weak on that front. The Lynx made a mental note that if Lelouch ever wanted to pilot a NEXT, he'd have to go through the same training he had, or something similar. Weak bodies and ACs were not the best combination available, especially wherever the pilot's health was concerned.

Filing that for later, when he could have a chat with the exiled Prince on the matter, he started paying attention the Charles' speech… for about ten seconds. That was all he needed to feel the sudden urge to bring out his new gun and shoot at the screen. Or better yet, take the Sky Ruler and march right into the Britannian Imperial Capital of Pendragon, destroying everything in his path, and land his precious NEXT on the guy like one would on a disgusting bug. The amount of bullshit coming out of the man's mouth was so outrageous he couldn't even begin to describe it, but the worst of it all was the way so many people believed blindly in all he said.

"People are not equal?" Hawk seethed silently by Lelouch's side. "So very true, but the way you use that truth is so disgusting it makes me want to puke." The Lynx had never thought it would be possible to find someone who he wanted to see dead right after listening to him speak, apart from Old King that is. And now, he found himself glaring at the image of the second man to hold that dubious honor. The only problem was that, unlike with Old King, the consequences of simply taking out the Emperor would be disastrous without a way to prevent the struggle for power that would follow the man's demise. "All the more reason to help in this."

The speech finished after a while of senseless prattle about the strong devouring the weak, Britannia being superior to every other nation and other such things. It was then that Hawk and Kallen met at the school gate, it was almost time for their meeting with their mysterious boss, although he wasn't as mysterious to Hawk as he had led the Resistance to believe. They ignored the gossiping fools of Ashford Academy and had something to eat while on the way.

At 1600 hours they were standing on the observation deck of the tower, just as Ohgi and a few others from the Resistance appeared and acted like they were looking around. Britannian propaganda played on the background over and over until it was thankfully interrupted by an announcement.

"Miss Kallen Stadfelt, your phone has been turned in at lost and found. Please come to retrieve it as soon as possible."

"That should be it." Hawk muttered, getting a nod from the redhead as they both made their way to the lost and found counter.

Once the phone had been retrieved, they met up with the rest of the Resistance, still keeping up a façade of being two separate groups, and waited until the phone started to vibrate in Kallen's hands. The caller ID was Zero.

_'So that's the name you've chosen, huh?'_ Hawk thought as the girl looked at her leader, who nodded at her, and she took the call.

"Glad you made it, Q-1." The voice she had come to know so well said from the other end. "I want you and your friends to board the outbound train on loop line #5. Once you get there, I'll contact you again."

As the group obeyed, the acting Viceroy of Area 11, Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald was planning Suzaku Kururugi's execution to the smallest detail. Once they had gotten rid of that filthy Eleven, the Purists would take over the military and abolish the Honorary Britannian system that plagued this land. And Area 11 would only be the first place where that would happen, several Area Viceroy's would follow their lead until only Britannians stood equally with one another and the rest groveled at their feet.

In the back of his mind was a small problem, two members of the Purist faction had encountered, some Eleven lover teenager that had beaten up the two civilian disguised soldiers with barely any effort. Those two were pressing for some help in locating and retaliating against said teenager, and it was becoming increasingly hard to ignore them. Still, he'd take care of that once he had secured his position and eradicated the Honorary Britannian System from Area 11, looking for that fool could wait until then.

On the other side of the city and inside a prison cell, the main suspect of Prince Clovis' murder, wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit, sat on the floor. Suzaku Kururugi was worried, but not about himself, he was worried about the three people he had met in the tunnels under the Shinjuku Ghetto.

"Congratulations!" A happy voice he easily recognized shouted as a familiar white haired scientist sat on a stool in front of him. "None of the people you told me about are on the casualty list. In fact, I can tell you that the two boys are alive and well, as they're my students in Ashford Academy. No idea about where the green haired girl is but no body has been found that fits her description."

"That's good to hear." The boy sighed happily.

"You do know you're going to be executed in a day, right?" Lloyd's voice lost some of its usual enthusiasm, but not much. "All of them are going to be against you, even your defense attorney."

"But truth comes to light during a trial, right?"

"I'm afraid that with all the smoke and mirrors going around lately, the truth is something rather scarce." The scientist replied sadly. "To lose such a piece of equipment so easily, what a shame. And now that the Club is almost here I'm going to have to look for two Devicers and not just one." Suzaku smiled nervously at being referred to like that. "Oh well, I'm really sorry there was nothing we could do about it."

"Don't worry about it, Lloyd." The imprisoned teen told him with a serene look on his face. "If that is how the system works, I'll accept it. I have no regrets."

Inside the train, Kallen and her group looked around, nervous about the situation and anxious to meet Strayed's mysterious boss. The Lynx himself was looking forward to what his friend would pull off in order to get the Resistance on his side, knowing that Lelouch seemed to have a knack for the theatrical, there was no doubt it would be a good performance. The phone soon rang again, the same caller ID as last time displayed on its screen, and Kallen replied.

"Face forward and look to your right." The voice told her. "Now tell me what you see."

"I see the Britannian Settlement, a city built on our own land and over our countless sacrifices." The redhead replied, glaring at the scenery.

"And what do you see on the left?"

"I see our city. A destroyed ruin that the Britannians can't stop sucking dry every day." Kallen replied this time, her voice sad as she did.

"Good answers." The voice complimented with approval in his tone. "Now, come meet me at the front of the train."

The group started moving from wagon to wagon until they reached the last one they had to go through, which was inexplicably packed with people. Hawk spared and analytical glance at the eyes of a few, detecting the almost invisible light orange hue that signaled that they were under the effect of Lelouch's power. After a bit of struggling, they reached their destination as the train entered a tunnel, dimming the light available in the car.

"So, are you my boss?" Hawk asked the caped figure that was standing in front of them with his back to them.

"Tell me, how did you like my little tour of the Settlement?" The figure asked in that voice they recognized as he turned abruptly, revealing a masked face and a body fully covered by a cape that seemed taken out of a Dracula movie.

"Please, tell me it's not this joker." One of the Resistance members muttered as the others gaped.

"It's his voice. Like it or not, it's him." The Lynx replied, his eyes fixed on the obscured mask with an emblem similar to the one that appeared on Lelouch's eye whenever he used his power.

"I wanted you all to fully grasp the two." The figure opened his arms, showing a rather thin body dressed in a dark blue Victorian outfit. "Both the Settlement and the Ghetto."

"Yes, we know." Ohgi stated, taking a step forward. "There's a harsh difference between us, even if you do enter the system as an Honorary Britannian. Which is why we resist them!"

"Wrong." That one word caught each and every Resistance member by surprise. "A nation like Britannia will not fall to such petty things as terrorism. Those actions are little more than childish nuisance to them. Ask Strayed if you want, he knows full well from experience how ineffective those sort of actions are against an enemy of Britannia's size."

The Resistance members gazed at the brown haired mercenary for a moment and he nodded in reply, remembering Line Ark's actions and how ineffective they had ended up being despite their efforts and good intentions, even with Raven on their side. Only when an organization as powerful as ORCA had been created and waged war on the League on a fair and level field had the tide started to turn until he, the sole remaining member of the Brigade, fulfilled the Closed Plan's objectives. The Lynx figured Lelouch would attempt to use a similar formula in order to fight Britannia, he could only hope that more people other than himself remained when all was over and done this time.

"Your first and most important mistake is that you're attacking the wrong enemy." The mysterious man continued. "The Britannian people are not the ones you must face, but the nation itself!" His voice boomed with confidence as he proclaimed. "What you need to fight is a war, one that does not involve the civilians. Stand with me and fight for justice at my side!"

"That's all really easy to say, hiding behind a mask and using pretty words like justice!" Kallen shouted angrily. "Why should we trust you?"

The entire Resistance shouted similar objections but soon shut up when Hawk walked forward and extended his hand towards the caped man. They both shook hands before he turned to look at the Japanese gathered there.

"I have a contract, and I'll fulfill it to the letter." The Lynx explained, his face dead serious. "Besides, I asked him to get us all out of the Ghetto alive and he did manage that. Had that new Knightmare Frame not appeared, we would have even won that battle. I think he at least deserves a chance to prove himself to you, mask or not."

"As Strayed has suggested, what I'll show you will not be my face, but my power." The masked man continued after the mercenary's little speech. "I'll deliver to you the impossible, I'll rescue Suzaku Kururugi! And I'll prove to you that I can do that without using Strayed's NEXT for it."

"What?!" The Resistance was baffled at the statement, and especially the last part.

"Those of you willing to help me in realizing that deed, come to this location at sunset." He threw a card at Kallen, who caught it on the fly, and handed another one to Hawk. "Until then." The man turned around and entered the driver's cabin just as the train came to a stop.

Seeing no reason to remain on the train, the group exited it right then and there, their minds stuck on a loop, replaying the conversation with this mysterious man whose name was apparently Zero if the caller ID in that phone was anything to go by.

"There's still some time until sunset, you'll have to make up your minds by then." Hawk told them, being the least affected.

"You're going with him, right?" Kallen asked as she took a deep breath. "I thought he said he wasn't going to use you in this one."

"He said nothing against me helping out, he only said he wasn't letting the Sky Ruler have a part in this." The mercenary replied dismissively. "Even without my unit I can do plenty of other things, my services are not limited to just piloting a giant robot around and killing people with it." They blinked at him, taken by surprise at the explanation. "So yes, I'll be going."

"We need to discuss this before we reach a decision, so we'll be going back to the hideout." Ohgi told him.

"Then here's where we part." Hawk concluded, getting a few strange looks, as if they had expected him to go with them. "I don't want to tag along and put unnecessary pressure on your group, your decisions are yours alone to make." They nodded in understanding at his explanation.

Leaving the Resistance cell to their devices, Hawk walked out of the station and back towards his house. He needed to have a conversation with Lelouch and prepare the tools he might need in case of infiltration work, oil the Sky Ruler's weapons just in case and try to catch the Japanese clandestine TV if possible in the meantime, it put on far better shows than the Britannian one.

Sunset was close when the brown haired teen got out of his mechanic outfit, having been oiling his machine due to running out of better things to do, and had a quick shower before changing into his usual black clothes and putting on his leather jacket, the one he had bought that didn't have the ORCA emblem, of course. It would be foolish of him to walk around in that considering the military had images of the Sky Ruler and the emblem was right there, engraved on the NEXT's left shoulder. Even if Britannia was corrupt and most of their ruling body inefficient, they were not that stupid or ignorant as to not put two and two together, even if it took them a while.

Hawk got to the meeting point at the same time as Ohgi and Kallen did, both of them gave him an apologetic look and explained that the rest of the Resistance simply did not trust him or this Zero guy in the least despite what they had done, Tamaki being the most distrustful of the bunch. With a sigh from the Lynx, the group of three entered the scrap dump that Zero had given as meeting point. Despite the initial impression of the place, one thing was clear, Britannia would never expect this to be the place where their enemies would plan their move, and Hawk had even checked the several patrols going around the Settlement and soon found that the place was not even close to any of the routes, making it perfect for such a meeting.

"I see, only you two and Strayed then." Zero mused as he saw them approach.

"I'm sorry, if you could get us more time to try and convince them…" Ohgi started, but the masked man quickly waved a hand taking importance off the matter.

"That's fine, you three are all I required." He explained as he threw them a couple pictures that Hawk caught. "I'll need these built by tomorrow, the exterior is all that matters."

"But…" The leader of the Resistance tried again but Zero did not let him speak.

"I'll also need to ask for that Glasgow you got today, if you don't mind." The masked man continued. "It's going to be our way out of the mess."

"So you want us to create a replica of Prince Clovis' car and a dummy of the poison gas capsule?" Hawk summarized, looking at the pictures. "And then the stage is yours, right?"

"Yes, of course, but you all have your parts to play in that stage." Zero replied confidently. "Now tell me, do you trust me? Do you believe that we can save Suzaku Kururugi from his execution?"

The three nodded and Zero smiled under his mask, there were two reasons for him to do this. The first one was simply because it was Suzaku, he'd be dammed if he was going to let Britannia and the Emperor take anything else away from him, an especially if that something was his first and only friend. The other was that, despite how wrong it was of him to think that, that pinch Suzaku was in was his chance to make a name for himself as Zero and pull off a miracle in front of both the Britannians and the Japanese people.

"We'll meet here tomorrow at 1200 hours." The masked man turned and walked away, leaving his three associates to their devices. "I expect good results."

"So, any idea how we're going to do this?" Kallen asked, worried. "Because I have no idea how to build any of these."

"No need." Hawk told them as he scribbled something on the back of the pictures with a pen he carried. "This is what we need to find." He handed a picture to each of them. "We have about an hour until the sun sets so gather all you can and be back here by then, I'll take care of constructing these things." It was then that Kallen remembered he had claimed to have designed and built his machine himself, even if other people provided funding and material, so he was probably the best person to take command, so to speak.

She and Ohgi nodded and the three went in a different way, they gathered as many parts as they could find in the time they had, using whatever daylight was left. Once they had that, Ohgi sat by a nearby streetlight, sorting through the most usable parts, while Hawk and Kallen built the first of the items. By midnight, they had managed to complete Clovis' car replica, Britannian flag included, and were about to start working on the fake poison gas capsule.

"You two go get some sleep, I'll take care of this." The Lynx told them when he noticed Kallen yawning. "I'm used to several nights without sleep in a row, just one is not going to make a difference in my reaction time."

"Wouldn't it be faster if we all stayed?" The girl asked, her voice revealing that she was indeed pretty tired.

"I don't know about Ohgi, but being who you are as Kallen Stadfelt, won't your family worry about you not being home yet?" Hawk questioned in a careful tone.

"Miss Stadfelt couldn't care less about where I am, so you shouldn't worry." The redhead replied as she shook her head to wake up. "I'll just say I was at a friend's house or something." She then chuckled dryly before adding. "I could even tell her I was at your house and she'd be bouncing happily around the mansion due to her daughter being so close to the Magnus family heir."

"She's that way, huh?" The mercenary mused as he worked while Kallen bit her tongue, she was still a bit sleepy and had let the last part slip. "By the way, why did you say Miss Stadfelt and not mom or mother? No need to tell me if you don't feel like it." He added, noticing the frown on her face.

"Don't mind if I don't then." She replied, joining him on the work he was doing. "It's way too complicated and I don't like talking about it."

"Alright then, let's finish this and be…" He was interrupted by a loud snore and both teens turned to see that Ohgi had fallen asleep where he sat sorting the parts around for use using the streetlights to see what he was doing. "I suppose he took my advice in the end." The Lynx chuckled before going back to work.

"Let him sleep, it's a miracle he lasted this long." Kallen told him with a small smile as she covered Ohgi with a tattered blanked they had found inside one of the scrapped cars. "The meeting with the rest of the Resistance was really stressful, it's no wonder it caught up to him."

"Tamaki?" Hawk asked, remembering the guy way too well.

"Among other things, but mainly him, yes." The redhead sighed. "He doesn't really like you, or Zero for that matter."

"One of these days that guy is going to fuck up badly and put everyone around him in danger, even the people he cares about most." Hawk's voice was pretty cold when he said that. "And when he does, he better hope he dies before I catch him."

"I'm not sure if I like you talking about my friends like that." Kallen told him with a glare as she gathered the parts Ohgi had selected. He didn't apologize and she had to admit he had a point in what he said, even if the phrasing ticked her off.

"I know what I'm talking about, I almost lost my life thrice because of people that acted like that." The Lynx explained, the coldness of his voice receding as he added. "But I understand what you're saying as well, so don't worry. I won't do anything too harsh if it comes to that. I'd rather put the effort in getting as many people out of there alive as possible and then take care of him."

"Is that all I can hope for?" She asked as she rejoined him with all the parts they needed, a part of her smiling at the thought of Tamaki being put in his place.

"Yes, I'm afraid you can't get a better deal out of me on that one." The Lynx chuckled, his tone slightly amused at the conversation going back to its less serious nature. "Let's get this over and done, shall we?"

Kallen nodded and they both got to work, a couple hours later they admired their handiwork, loaded it into the car and woke up Ohgi, who apologized profusely for falling asleep in the midst of the job. The group of three agreed to come back there at half past eleven AM, half an hour earlier than what Zero had told them, if only for appearances. They hid their creations as best they could so no one would find them, not that anyone came around the place anyway, even the homeless avoided it in fear of being found by Britannia and lived in the Ghetto.

"So, where are you sleeping today, Kallen?" Ohgi asked as they exited the place.

"I didn't want to go home today, but going to the hideout is like asking Tamaki to yell at us all night and not let us close our eyes." The redhead replied with a tired sigh. "I suppose I'll pick the lesser of two evils and go home. What about you, Ohgi? Your house is pretty far from here."

"I suppose I have no choice but to take the hideout, do I?" The Resistance leader yawned. "Let's just hope Tamaki hasn't been drinking or it's going to be one hell of a night."

"Mind if I suggest a third option?" The Lynx asked, taking them both by surprise. The two nodded for him to continue. "My house is pretty big, I have more than enough room for you two to be comfortable. If you want to, you can spend the night there."

"Are you sure about that? I mean, we barely know each other at all and just started working together today." Kallen was bewildered. "Not counting Shinjuku, that is."

"On the battlefield, you either make allies fast or you just don't last." He quoted with a smile. "A friend of mine once told me that, his Codename was Raven. One of the best Lynx I have ever fought alongside and against."

"Lynx?" Ohgi wondered, and Hawk realized he hadn't explained that point.

"Lynx is how pilots for the Armored Cores are called." The mercenary explained as they kept walking. "I have no idea who came up with the name, but there you have it."

"Just like they call Knightmare Frame test pilots Devicers then." Kallen muttered, thinking about it.

"Yeah." The Lynx nodded before smiling and adding. "So, are you accepting my offer or not?"

Both Resistance members nodded slowly in reply, widening Hawk's smile. The group of three walked down the streets until they reached the house in question, and Kallen noted it was relatively close to her own, so she would be able to go get a change of clothes and a shower in the morning before meeting with Zero.

"Make yourselves at home, there's a room to the left and another to the right. I'll be sleeping on the couch in the basement." The Lynx explained as they came in, pointing to the different sections. "The bathroom's over there and the kitchen's on the far end."

"Sorry for intruding." Both of them said with a bow. "I have to admit I hadn't expected something like this when you invited us, this looks like out of a noble house."

"It actually is, I paid for it with what was left of the Magnus' family funds I got my hands on." Hawk replied with a smile. "It belonged to the Ashford family, which is why the basement's equipped for handling Frames, or my NEXT in this case. The access to the subway was just an added bonus I found out about, they used it for tests on their designs before they stopped the Knightmare Frame business."

"Will you be alright in the basement? My home is not far from here, I could walk there without a problem." Kallen asked, slightly worried.

"I'll be just fine, I assure you." The Lynx replied with a smile before taking the stairs downwards. "Well, have good night's sleep."

Once he was out of sight, the mercenary texted Lelouch about the meeting time he and the others had agreed, he didn't want him to be caught off guard or unmasked by their sudden arrival. Once he had done that he checked the clock on the wall, it was only three in the morning, he had more than enough time to get some late night training on the simulator before going to sleep.

"Hawk, what are you doing?" Kallen asked, appearing down the stairs just as he sat on the cockpit.

"I thought I'd get some training before going to bed." The Lynx replied simply as he looked at the girl. "What did you want?"

"I wanted to ask if we could get something to eat before sleeping." The girl explained with a yawn. "We didn't have anything to eat since early afternoon after all."

"I suppose you're right." Hawk said as he exited the cockpit, realizing he was hungry as well. "I'll get us something ready."

"In fact, mind if I use the kitchen myself?" Ohgi asked, coming down after Kallen, his eyes widened as he stared at the NEXT was coming out of. "So that's how it looks up close, huh? During the fight in Shinjuku, I never got a good look for a reason or another."

"If you had managed to get a good look while I was on the move that would mean I was not in a condition to pilot or that the Sky Ruler was in pretty bad shape." Hawk replied as if he was stating a fact, there was no smugness in his voice. "As for the food, go ahead. As long as you don't mind cooking for three you can use whatever you find in the fridge."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." The Resistance leader smiled and walked up the stairs. "I'll just come get you two once it's ready."

"You're putting a lot of trust in us, aren't you?" Kallen started, walking down the second staircase to reach where Hawk was standing. "You bring us to your house, tell us to make ourselves at home and even let us take a look at your NEXT up close and use your kitchen."

"I already quoted Raven to you. On the battlefield, you make allies fast or you just don't last." The NEXT pilot replied as she walked up to him. "I do have a question for you though."

"And that would be?"

"Would you like to do something else?" Hawk asked with a mischievous grin. "Not only taking a look at the Sky Ruler, but pilot it?"

"You're going to let me take your NEXT out of here?" The redhead was pretty surprised at that. "Need I remind you we're having Ohgi cook dinner?"

"Oh, no, not that." The Lynx shook his head as the sound of something being cooked was heard over their heads. "I meant using one of the training simulation programs. We have time until he's done with cooking and they don't last for more than ten minutes in most cases."

"I wouldn't mind that actually." Kallen smiled, she would never admit it out loud, but she had been tempted to ask Hawk to let her into the cockpit of the Sky Ruler when he brought her to his house yesterday. To be offered not only that, but to run a simulation on it, was more than she had expected. "Although don't make it too difficult, I'm not at my best here."

"Sure, I got just the opponent." The mercenary smirked.

Around fifteen minutes later, Ohgi walked down the stairs to tell them dinner was ready, only to find Kallen chasing the Lynx around while yelling something along the lines of murder and surmised that the brown haired mercenary had triggered the girl's sore loser side somehow. He coughed loudly just as Hawk caught the girl's wrists before she hit him with the pillow she had taken from around the room, getting their attention.

"Although it's a bit late, dinner's ready." The Resistance leader announced as the Lynx let go off the girl and she dropped the pillow on the couch. Both of them looked fairly embarrassed and it somehow reminded Ohgi of how Naoto and Kallen would do similar things when the latter was still alive. "Come on, before it gets cold."

Compared to the scene they had made in the basement, dinner was fairly quiet. Hawk had to admit that Ohgi was pretty good at this, better than he was anyway. The Resistance leader then began relaxing the atmosphere by starting some small talk about school, revealing he had been a teacher before Britannia came around and took everything under their rule. Both teens started adding their two cents to the conversation and things became livelier again, once more reminding him of how Naoto and Kallen would act in a similar situation.

"Next time, I want a fair fight." The redhead told Hawk as they exited the kitchen where they had eaten and were ready for some sleep. "I won't lose then."

"Sure, just come by whenever you want and I'll let you try." The Lynx smiled, walking towards the stairs. "You're pretty fun to have around Kallen, I'm glad you accepted the offer."

"Same here. I can't believe I'm saying this, considering what we got ourselves in and all, but I had fun today." The girl sighed and took a deep breath before adding in a serious voice. "Let's come out of it alive tomorrow."

The mercenary nodded and that was all she needed to see, Ohgi observed the exchange from afar and smiled before going to the room Hawk had given him. Yes, they had to come out of it alive, but was it wise not to use Strayed's machine? What if they needed it? He had a slight idea of Zero's plan, it was a simple trade, the fake gas capsule for the prisoner, no doubt. But could they pull it off? It was something no one else would have thought of doing or dared to do even if they had, it was risky, very risky. Those thoughts were his last conscious ones as sleep took him.

Kallen got inside the bed she would be using and looked at the ceiling while gathering her thoughts. She had been honest, she had fun spending time with the Lynx, what she was worried about was why. Why had it been fun to have him around? At first he was just as mysterious as Zero, but she had come to know him quite well in a very short amount of time. Plus, he was a lot more trusting than his boss and had no problem offering the two of them a place to sleep where they wouldn't be inconvenienced. In short, she had come to enjoy having him around in a mere two days' time, some of her classmates would immediately say she was developing a crush on him but she knew that was not the case, no way.

"He's a bit like you, Naoto." She muttered as she remembered her deceased brother. "And just as annoying when it comes to messing with me." She added with a wry smile and a pout as she remembered the training program Hawk had put her through.

How had he expected her to beat five enemies with machines as powerful as that while being half asleep and inside that cockpit for the first time? Even if the controls for both NEXT and Knightmare Frame were similar, she had literally no experience in manning the Sky Ruler. She had only managed to take out two of the enemies before she was shot down by that incredibly fast bronze NEXT. The girl put those thoughts aside and yawned, she'd think about all this once they were done with Zero's plan tomorrow.

"Aren't you getting a bit too close to them, taking them in like that?" Lelouch asked Hawk as they both conversed through their phones using the ORCA line. "You'll get too close to them and end up to regretting it."

"I don't think so, the regretting it part I mean." The Lynx replied with a chuckle. "Knowing your allies is also a part of the battle, I'm sure you are aware of that."

"Regardless, you're taking a big risk here, aren't you?" The exiled Prince continued. "They're terrorists. How do you know they won't try to take the Sky Ruler for themselves or something of the sort?"

"Neither of them were armed, unless you count that knife Kallen always carries around, and she handed it over the moment she came through the door as a show of faith. Besides, they did nothing to me when I went to their hideout yesterday and Ohgi is a pretty good cook." The black haired teen frowned at the last reason he gave, just like Hawk expected him to. "Look, Zero, you have your way of earning and giving trust and I have mine, it's as simple as that. I'd rather reveal myself a bit so that the trust is mutual than keep everyone at arm's length and look imposing in a mask and a cape."

"Still…"

"One person alone cannot make a difference, it's through a group of individuals sharing similar values and ideals that the world can be changed." Hawk reminded him. "Tell me, how do you expect to accomplish that if you don't get to know the people you'll be working with?"

"I see, then I will not bother you with this matter any further. It seems you have the advantage in this sort of conversation." Lelouch replied with a chuckle, while they both had things in common, there were points in which they did not agree. "See you tomorrow, Strayed." And he hung up.

The Lynx dropped the phone onto a nearby table and jumped onto the couch, landing in perfect sleeping position. As he gave one last look towards his NEXT, his thoughts wandered for a moment to Kallen. The girl was even better than he had expected her to be, scratch that, she was too good to be true.

On her first run, with a unit she had never used before and that, unlike her, specialized in mid-to-long range combat and hit-and-run tactics, she took out two of Collared's five strongest NEXTs in a five on one battle by charging in head first and laser blades active before being shot down by a lucky hit from Reiterpallasch a mere second before she could finish Stasis off and up the kill count to three. She struggled, alright, and the A.I. of the simulations was not as good as the real thing and was set to a rather low level, but the results were amazing to say the least. If that girl ever got a unit she could truly work alongside with, one custom made for her, she could very well be on Hawk's level and even beyond.

"She said she'd like to try again, huh?" The Lynx mused as his eyelids closed and he slowly fell asleep while mumbling. "Perhaps I'll change the user's NEXT to the Saber on her next run, it would suit her fighting style more."

As the sun dawned on Area 11, Hawk's eyes snapped open and he stood up. The Lynx stretched and got some clothes he had inside a drawer in the basement for whenever he just wouldn't use the bed upstairs and got into the small bathroom there. He decided that he didn't want to use the main one just in case any of his visitors were using it. He spent some time preparing a little utility kit for the mission just in case, although not knowing exactly what he was supposed to do made it slightly more difficult than he'd like. He also needed to put his pilot suit and helmet in a bag to carry around.

Once he was done with all of that, about an hour and a half later, he climbed up the stairs, finding Kallen dressed in a clean uniform and with her hair still soaked. The redhead had gone back to her house and snatched the uniform and underwear before any of the servants or her mother noticed and came back to Hawk's house to take a shower. She would tell some lie when she got back from their little adventure tonight and be done with it, not that anyone there would suspect her of anything.

"Hope you don't mind that I used your shower." The girl told him and he waved it off with a smile.

"No problem, I'm more concerned about breakfast though." The Lynx replied, still smiling.

"Ohgi's taking care of that, he said to leave it to him." Kallen explained just as the black haired man's head popped through the kitchen's door.

"Everything's ready!" The Resistance leader told them.

Like dinner last night, breakfast ended up being quite fun. The group soon finished eating and collaborated on cleaning everything up before leaving towards the meeting point, their mood getting more serious as they got closer to the place. At half past eleven am, they stood right in front of Zero himself, who was already waiting for them.

"You're earlier than I expected." The masked man stated, showing them his back as he looked over the road Suzaku's trial parade would take. "Are you ready to hear what I have planned?"

"We are." Ohgi stated for the three.

"Very well then, here's what we'll do." Zero started with confidence. "The plan is simple, we're going to make an exchange, the capsule for Kururugi, and then escape. Strayed, your role is going to be mere backup, I'm afraid. You're to cover our escape route using their Glasgow and take out any pursuers that may follow."

"Understood." Hawk replied mechanically. He was starting to understand that this plan was not only about Lelouch announcing his existence to the world, but also about Zero proving himself to be equally effective with or without him and the Sky Ruler by his side.

"Ohgi, you'll be creating our escape route by using a civilian Frame I have obtained, it's parked in this location." He threw a card at the Resistance leader, who caught it. "Once Kallen gives you the signal, you're to launch the safety net and catch us as we fall."

"Wait, fall?" The redhead asked in surprise.

"There'll be a truck waiting for us down the road with an open ceiling, we'll jump off the highway and land safely inside it thanks to Ohgi, then we'll get away." Zero explained dismissively, the three people in front of them would never know how much he was sweating in nervousness. "Finally, Kallen, your role is to drive that car up to the convoy that's transporting Kururugi."

"What?!" She shouted. "But that's insane!"

"I asked you to trust me, and I promise you that you will come out of it alive, all of you." The masked man stated in a tone that calmed the girl down. "We have time to prepare, let's not waste it."

"One question." Ohgi stated, getting Lelouch's attention. "I understand the plan and see that it could work, but what are you going to do if Margrave Jeremiah does not agree to your terms?"

"I have that under control, you don't need to worry about it." He replied simply but in a tone that did not leave room for argument

And so, everyone got ready for their part in the play that was going to be Suzaku Kururugi's rescue operation. Night came and the patriotic Britannians Diethard Ried, the one in charge of the coverage of the trial, had gathered for Suzaku Kururugi's parade were ready to unleash as much scorn and insults towards the teen as they could manage.

"I must say, this has become a circus in which the monkeys dance a tune at the sight of a few peanuts." The reporter mused to himself as he eyed the preparations from inside the news van. "And I'm as corrupt as anyone else in the cage."

The broadcast started, being watched practically in every house both in the Settlement and the Ghetto. The Japanese people waiting for a miracle to save their late Prime Minister's son, no matter that he had supposedly betrayed his blood by entering the Honorary Britannian system, and the Britannians awaiting the demise of said young man. However, both groups held their breaths when the parade stopped abruptly, the newscaster explaining that it was not a scheduled stop.

Lelouch, in his Zero guise, was nervous. But it was not only because of the possibility of failure that he was like that, but because this was his grand debut as well. The black haired Prince was ready for this, he had made the choice to fight and had gathered whatever allies he found that could help him, all he needed to do now was prove himself in front of the entire world as the man that would bring change to the world, for Nunnally's sake.

Kallen, driving the replica of Prince Clovis' personal car, was as nervous as she could get. Sure, they had Strayed as backup, even if he was using a Glasgow, but that was only if the first and most important part of Zero's plan worked, and that was not going to be as easy as their masked leader was trying to make them believe. Even if the guy had led them to almost winning the battle of Shinjuku this was a totally different matter, and yet they had listened to him and were doing as he had told them.

Ohgi observed the situation from his spot. His job was simple, creating an escape route using the civilian Frame Zero had gotten him when the exchange had taken place, but the Resistance leader's nervousness could put Kallen and Lelouch's combined to shame. And the fact that Strayed was being so silent over the line wasn't helping.

The mercenary was, despite how dire the situation seemed to the others, very calm. For one, he trusted Lelouch's planning abilities, which he considered at least on par with Thermidor's after what he had seen. And then there was the fact that Lelouch had an ace in the hole no one but he and the exiled Prince knew about, that Geass power of his would take care of anything that went wrong, especially considering that all soldiers were out of their cockpits and showing themselves around.

"Well then, so starts my third rebellion." The Lynx mused to himself in a whisper that Ohgi did not hear despite the open line as he gripped the Glasgow's controls, he had spent all the time he had until now to familiarize himself with the machine, and he had done a pretty good job on it, plus he now had a better understanding of a Knightmare Frame's movements, something that Lelouch had probably planned to give him when he assigned him and not Kallen to be the one covering their retreat. "Like Thermidor would say… Time to put on a show."

"Now then, who are you and how dare you desecrate His Highness' vehicle?" Jeremiah Gottwald asked as the car came to a stop in front of him and the rest of the parade.

Suddenly, the Britannian flag on the car burned, dissolving into ashes as a masked figure clad in a dark purple dress with golden decorations and a black cape with crimson insides appeared from behind it, unharmed by the flames. The figure took a step forward before starting to speak.

"My name… is Zero!" He proclaimed in a powerful voice that left no one indifferent. As many wondered about the possible meaning of his name, Jeremiah chuckled.

"Well, Zero, nice to meet you." The Margrave grinned confidently. "Now, you'll be going somewhere far away, it's called prison."

Just as the blue haired Purist finished speaking, five Sutherlands dropped around the car replica, making the road tremble as they landed, assault rifles pointed at the caped figure who did not show the slightest amount of fear. Zero's performance was so appealing to Diethard that he darted off the news van, camera in hand, when one of his subordinates told him he wasn't up to the task of getting close to the masked man.

"Amateurs!" The dirty blond seethed as he focused the camera on Zero.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Margrave Jeremiah." The masked man's voice was calm despite the situation.

"Shut up you filthy Eleven! Now show us your monkey face." The margrave replied, pointing his gun at the masked man.

Zero smiled all the way through the gesture of taking off the helmet that concealed his features, only to stop at the last moment and lift his hand upwards, theatrically snapping his fingers as Kallen purged part of the car, revealing the fake poison gas capsule to the amazement and terror of every single Britannian soldier on the scene while the crowd just looked on in awe, not knowing what was going on.

"I'm sure you recognize this, Jeremiah." The exiled Prince smirked under the mask as he eyed the shocked and terrified faces of the soldiers around him. "You wouldn't want it to go off here, now would you?"

_'That bastard! He's taken every single Britannian present hostage, and without any of them even realizing that!'_ The Margrave thought angrily. "Very well, Eleven… or Zero, as you call yourself. What are your demands?"

"They're fairly simple and easy to fulfill." Zero replied dismissively with a wave of his hand, keeping up the theatrics that had Diethard and the rest of his audience rooted to the spot. "I want Kururugi. Give him to me and the capsule is yours, no one will be harmed."

"Like hell!" Jeremiah snarled. "He's Prince Clovis' murderer, there's no way I'll hand him over!"

"Wrong!" That simple word was again incredibly effective in shocking everyone around him, and Lelouch made a mental note of that. "You're wrong, Jeremiah Gottwald. The one who killed Clovis…" Zero then turned towards the camera Diethard was holding almost to his face, as if to look at every single person watching the broadcast. "Was myself!"

The reactions differed among everyone watching but they all had one thing in common. Everyone, whether Eleven or Britannian, was shocked at the man's daring and wits. To just walk up to the most powerful man currently present on Area 11 and reveal he was Prince Clovis' murderer to his face was something not a single rebel would have ever dared to do, not even Tohdoh, the Japanese's personal miracle worker and living legend.

"And you think I'll let you go after hearing that?!" The Margrave shouted as he pointed his gun back at the man's mask. "You're coming with us!"

"Careful now, you wouldn't want anyone to know about Orange, right?" Zero lightly tapped the car's surface, indicating Kallen to move it forward as he spoke. "If I die it'll all go public. If you don't want that to happen…" Part of Zero's helmet moved, revealing his left eye to the blue haired man. An eye that had a red bird symbol instead of a pupil. "You'll hand over Kururugi and let us escape."

"Understood." Jeremiah replied once the Geass took effect, overriding his mind and surrounding his eyes in and almost unperceivable light orange hue. "Hand over the prisoner at once!"

"What are you doing, My Lord?!" Villetta Nu asked in shock at the turn of events, this was not like Jeremiah at all.

"You heard me! Hand him over!" The Margrave commanded again, and this time the soldiers complied, releasing the Honorary Britannian who staggered towards the masked man and his white clad aid, who started walking away from their transport.

"I see they wouldn't even let you talk." Zero noted as he eyed the device around his friend's neck, designed to deliver a painful shock whenever the boy tried to speak. "As much as I'd like to rid you of it this instant, that is not possible. So bear with it a while longer."

"We're ready." The red haired girl muttered on her com line and they jumped off while Jeremiah held off the two Sutherlands that attempted to move and capture them under the effect of Zero's command, the masked man pressed a button hidden in his sleeve and the capsule released colored smoke to mask their escape.

Ohgi knew that was his cue and fired the safety net his Frame was equipped with just in time to prevent their fall from being deadly and have them land safely inside their transport. The civilian Frame was soon dismantled by a rain of bullets from a Sutherland as two more chased after the vehicle that was racing away at top speed. Kaname Ohgi ejected in time and sighed, it was all in Strayed's hands now, he had done his part.

"Something was up with Lord Jeremiah, he's never acted like that." One of the pilots, a purist and a big fan of the Margrave, stated as they chased the vehicle.

"We have to catch that Zero bastard and bring him with us. He'll pay for murdering our Prince and messing with Lord Jeremiah's name." The other replied just before a black Glasgow landed in front of them. "Looks like this guy wants business."

"In a Glasgow? He must be insane." The first soldier laughed as he readied his weapons.

Without a word of reply even though the last part of the conversation had been through an open channel to provoke the Glasgow's pilot, the outdated machine dashed forward, Land Spinners at full speed, and punched one of the Sutherlands in the face before any of them reacted, the black Frame then sidestepped, moving around his enemy, and plunged the two Slash Harkens into the cockpit of the one he had just struck, killing the pilot long before the ejection system activated.

"Barry!" The other pilot shouted as he shot the Glasgow from behind, only for the black unit to move out of the way and grab the other Sutherland's rifle. "I'll kill you for that!"

The threat was not fulfilled, the Sutherland pilot got a shot at the Factsphere for his troubles before a sharp kick to the side sent his Frame against a wall back first, rendering the ejection system useless. The Glasgow shot a burst of bullets straight into the chest cockpit, finishing him off.

"I have to admit it, these Knightmare Frames may not be as powerful as a NEXT, or even a Normal, but their maneuverability and movements are something worth praising." Strayed muttered as he turned the Glasgow around and left towards the meeting point, he hadn't even moved for a minute when a sudden flash of inspiration went through his mind. "I'll have to see if there's a way to combine both technologies in one machine, it would really help to have the ability to move in an almost human-like manner like that white Knightmare I faced in Shinjuku, especially if more units like that one start appearing."

The Resistance hideout was agape at what they had seen. Zero had done it, just like he said he would and keeping true to his word of not using Strayed's NEXT to do the deed. That masked guy had actually pulled off a miracle in the face of the Britannian military like it was something easy to do. A moment later, a message from Ohgi arrived, telling them to go to the old theater in the Ghetto where they would be meeting with Zero again. The whole group agreed to go and maybe pay a bit more attention to what Zero had to say this time around. Said masked man was right now having a conversation with the prisoner he had rescued.

"Do you see now?" Zero started as Suzaku rubbed his now free neck, the first thing the caped stranger had done once they had gotten out of the vehicle was get rid of the device around his neck, like he had promised. "This is what Britannia is truly like from the inside, putrid and corrupted. If you want to change that, then join me!"

"Was it true? Were you the one to kill Prince Clovis?" The brown haired boy asked.

"I'm fighting a war, Private Kururugi." Zero stated simply. "Why would I not take an enemy commander's life?"

"And what about the gas capsule? Those were civilians out there!"

"A mere bluff to help things along, nothing more." The masked man explained dismissively. "And as a result, not a single dead civilian. I can't say much for the fools that chased after us and met Strayed, though."

"Strayed?" Suzaku asked, not having heard that name before.

"That would be me." A slightly distorted voice replied as a man dressed in a black pilot suit and a helmet with a golden visor that did not let anyone see what was inside came in from the side. "It's good to see you are well, Suzaku Kururugi."

"Do I know you?"

"Not really, but I heard a lot about you the past few days." The black clad man replied with a chuckle. "Anyway, I just came to report that I took care of our pursuers. That is all."

"I see." Zero replied absently. "You can leave now." And without another word, the man left towards the back of the stage where the rest of the Resistance was to gather, although Suzaku was not aware of that last part. "Now, where were we, Private Kururugi?"

"I need to ask you something." The Honorary Britannian started. "Are results all that matter to you?"

"The ends justify the means, that much I believe." Zero replied before adding. "Although I'll admit there are means even I am not willing to use."

"In my case, I believe any ends obtained through contemptible means are not worth the sacrifice or the result." The brown haired teen explained before starting to walk away. "I'll be going now, thanks for saving me."

"Where are you going?!" Zero asked, trying to keep the shock off his voice "Don't tell me you're going to hand yourself in!"

"I am." The boy replied. "I'd bring you with me as well, but I don't think I would be able to do that without being killed. And if I die, it will be in service of the people, not here."

"If you go back they'll kill you!" Zero insisted taking a few steps forward. "Everyone will be against you, even the defense!" Seeing Suzaku's unwavering eyes, Lelouch added. "Don't be a fool!"

"A friend of mine used to say that. He called me a fool quite often, and perhaps I am one. But even so, I have to go." Suzaku's voice was slightly sad as he said that. "Rules are to be obeyed, that is all I need to know." The boy looked directly at the obscured oval that hid Lelouch's face. "I want to change things, but I will do it from within. That is the right way to do it."

"Maybe not." Strayed interjected, coming out of the place he was hiding. "Sorry, Zero, but I just couldn't keep to myself anymore." The masked man nodded, accepting the apology, and let the Lynx continue while he processed what he knew and thought about a reply he could give Suzaku. "What do you do when there's something that can't be changed from within because the rules just do not allow it, nor do they allow themselves to be changed to let that option you want to take be possible?"

"Even if something like that were to happen, that's no reason to resort to something like terrorism and hostages." Suzaku replied, glaring at the other obscure helmet around him. "That's just wrong!"

"And neither I nor Zero will deny that." The black clad man told him, remembering his own experiences. "However, there are wrong paths that lead to good endings, just like there are good paths that lead to bad endings. A wise man once said that the road to hell was paved with good intentions, and I personally think he was right."

"I will not ask you to throw away your beliefs, Private Kururugi." Zero started after using the time Strayed provided to prepare what he was going to say, getting the boy's attention back to him. "Go, if it's what you feel you must do. I can only hope that my revelation of the real killer's identity will be enough to let the process be a kinder one and, hopefully, have a better ending than the one Jeremiah Gottwald had in mind. For the sake of the Elevens and Honorary Britannians as well."

To say Suzaku Kururugi was shocked at that statement would be lacking. The Honorary Britannian walked away with his head being a mess of conflicting ideas. Many things he had been told were against everything he believed, but they sounded so incredibly right at the same time that the poor boy just didn't know what to make of it all. Stumbling, he made his way to a nearby phone post and called the police so that they'd pick him up, he had a lot to do before thinking over what he had been told, mainly attending his trial and whatever came after it.

"Are you sure about this?" Hawk asked the masked form of Lelouch. "You could have just ordered him to join you and be done with it."

"As I said, there are means even I am not willing to use."

"And as long as that remains true, you won't become a monster." The Lynx concluded with a smile, taking off his helmet. "You should get going, your sister's going to miss you. I'll take care of the Resistance cell and give them the contact information."

"I'm counting on you." Zero stated before he left towards his home in Ashford, not expecting what he was going to find there.

* * *

Well then, Chapter done and I'm pretty satisfied with it. I hope you guys are too.

Now then, I want to explain my line of thinking a bit in case it wasn't clear. Lelouch did not use the Sky Ruler to avoid beeing seen as useless or inferior without its help. He had to prove himself to be capable even when that resource is unavailable in his big entrance or else he could be perceived as weak. Everyone who has watched Code Geass knows he's perfectly capable of doing these sort of things without having a massive, army destroying machine at his beck and call from the get go, but the people populating this AU of Code Geass haven't really watched it, I'm afraid.

Another thing I want to add, and then I'll let you guys go, is that I'm suffering from a disease. It's nothing serious, it's just a little thing that seems to not let me keep a crossover to just two series and leave it at that, like what happened with my FoZ/Kamen Rider Crossover that ended up with Code Geass thrown into the mix. As such, and since most of my inspiration for this crossover came from Super Robot Was Z and Z.2 (Both of them) for the PS2 and PSP respectively, expect a few of the original characters from the game to appear. AU versions of them with similar yet different stories, adapted to the Code Geass universe as best I can. Also, expect one character that's not a Banpresto Original to pop up too, for the sake of a pairing I've recently become a fan of. And whoever has played SRW Z probably has an idea about who it is and what pairing I'm talking about.

Some of you may be thinking, why not just make a SRW/ACFA crossover then and forget about doing something so complicated? Well, I'm afraid Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle and the whole Alternate Universe selfs sort of got to me when i read it. I love putting characters from another series in different yet similar situations. The soul and personality is the same, but the events in their lives and their growth differs, it all happens similarly, yet it is not.

Well, I'm done with that. Next Chapter we'll get to know some new people, C.C. included, and the Lancelot's new battle partner will get its inauguration battle. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review.


	6. Chapter 05:The Princess and the Amnesiac

Took some time but I got this done, here's hoping you'll enjoy it about as much as I enjoyed putting everything together.

Thanks to everyone that read, followed, favorited and/or reviewed.

To the Reviewers:

**Sieben Nightwing**: Glad you liked it, and here's hoping you'll like this too. While Raven won't be making a physical appearance, he will be referenced and shown in a couple flashbacks, that's the closest thing you'll get to him being around, but I hope you'll enjoy it.

**RoyalTwinFangs**: Strayed's going to be a pretty crucial piece in the Black Knight's AC designs, he's got the experience handling those after all and is well-versed on their workings, he has studied to become an AC designer while being a fighter. Still, while your are right about guerrilla warfare, such modifications are complicated at best, and he's not too fond of weapons of mass destruction, so sakuradite warheads are out of the question. Enjoy the chapter and I'll be sure to check that animesuki story sometime soon.

**Guest (Criticanon)**: You identified yourself via PM, so I decided to make it known who you were here. You haven't come off as offensive at all, so do not worry about it. As for your comments, you are right on both accounts, Hawk is appearing a bit too perfect, but we're soon going to start seeing that it just won't hold for too long as we delve into his character little by little. What he told Suzaku was meant to get him to think, the only immediate consequence this action will have will be Suzaku starting to pay more attention to what he's doing and being ordered to do instead of just following his superior's orders and shut up, it won't be a drastic change of mind and ideals, I plan to build it well before that happens and it's going to take very long to have any true effect on him.

I do plan to explore the Code Geass world through Hawk's eyes for the very same reasons you have stated, it will start slowly though, but we'll get his opinions on everything that's going on from time to time.

**Cj1of4**: Your review got me thinking, so I added a couple things to the chapter, now Hawk admits to having been practicing with the Glasgow before the operation and also throws in a guess about why Zero would choose him and not Kallen to pilot it and cover their retreat. I hope that helps make it more understandable. I'm glad you think the story's great and I hope you'll find this chapter to be great as well.

**Guest (Unknown)**: I'm afraid I haven't watched any Ultraman shows, so it is kind of impossible right now. Still, I'll make sure to remember the suggestions and if it comes to it and i do watch the Ultraman series you mentioned, I'll give them a try. Thanks for the praise and enjoy the chapter.

**Illium Cadeyrn**: Glad to be of help and looking forward to that project, even though I have no idea what you'll be crossing over with.

Your suggestion on the Primal armor matter is welcome and has helped greatly, so I thank you for it. Also, about the ammunition, while I did do it for the sake of simplicity as well, what brought me to the idea was the fact that we never see the NEXT reload the weapon, as in ejecting a magazine and inserting another, this got me thinking that perhaps all the ammunition is stored inside the weapon, which would make the bullets smaller than what we think. I know it's a bit weird, but it makes sense to me.

The Student Council will be used for funny moments, especially the additional events that I can get thanks to Lost Colors, beware of Luluko and Suzako XD. Enjoy the chapter, and the part you're looking forward to is the very first section of the chapter, let's see what you think of it.

* * *

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Code Geass or any of its spin-offs, nor do I own anything related to the Armored Core franchise, unless you count my copy of the Armored Core For Answer game, that I do own. All I own that is shown in this story are Hawk Magnus, the design of his NEXT/s, the K-Filter and the SKAI computer installed in the Sky Ruler.

* * *

Chapter 05: The Princess and the Amnesiac

Lelouch Lamperouge was shocked beyond belief, his face clearly depicting such a state as his purple eyes widened to the extent of hurting in their attempt to express his surprise and his upper lip twitched repeatedly. Right in front of him and folding paper cranes alongside his sister sat someone who just couldn't be alive, she had taken a bullet to the head, for crying out loud!

But there she was, fresh like a flower, with flowing light green hair and amber eyes, and looking way too healthy to be a walking corpse. So, like he had done when he learned about Hawk's origins, Lelouch took all his notions of logic and science applicable to the situation, threw them right out the window from the highest floor of the Imperial State Building in Pendragon with as much strength as he could muster and a few weights attached for good measure and a nice free fall, and accepted that the girl who had given him his Geass was right there, very much alive and looking at him with a coy smile on her face. Although it would take time to process all that.

"You're pretty late." The girl said with her smile widening as she noticed how much in shock her contractor was, maybe she should have some fun while he came back to the real world. "I hope you weren't doing anything dangerous."

"Come on, miss C.C." Nunnally laughed innocently. "My brother isn't like that. Although I was a bit worried about him getting caught up in the uproar that man named Zero caused."

"Oh, I know." The white clad female replied, still smiling and with slight mockery in her tone. "I was just joking Nunnally, your brother would never ever do something dangerous, right?"

"Of course not." The brown haired girl did not catch the sarcasm in C.C.'s voice, thankfully. "Your friend is really fun, Big Brother. And she's very nice, although I don't really understand why she goes by her initials." Nunnally left the crane she had just folded on the table and then added. "By the way, what do you two know each other from?"

"Oh, nothing much." The other girl replied as Lelouch's brain tried again and again to override the shocked state he was in and failed. "He merely made a promise about our future together, isn't that right?"

"You mean as in proposing?!" It was after that one question that the black haired teen finally snapped out of it and quickly devised a plan to get away and drag that girl with him, he had a few questions for her that needed immediate answer.

"It's nothing like that Nunnally, she was just joking." The eldest Lamperouge explained as he kept his voice calm and approached them.

"No, I wasn't." The green haired girl replied, only to look on as Lelouch picked up her tea and let it fall on the floor, the cup being utterly destroyed upon contact with the unmovable enemy.

"Oh, C.C., look at what you've done. You're soaked now." He said in a half-mocking, half-chastising voice. "Come on, let's get you a change of clothes, you can't stay in those." Lelouch started dragging the girl out the room, displaying much more strength than he usually possessed. "And she was just kidding, Nunnally, all of it was nothing but a very bad joke. I'll send Sayoko to clean this up in a second." He added the last part halfway through the hallway.

"Can you stop pulling? I got the message." C.C. stated as she let herself be dragged into Lelouch's room.

"No, I don't think you did." The teen sighed before locking the door and letting go of her. Lelouch then called Sayoko through the internal phone and asked her to get Nunnally to bed for him and clean up the mess. "Now, you will answer my ques… tions… What are you doing?!"

"Getting ready for bed." She stated as she undressed without any care in the world.

"You think this is a joke?" Lelouch asked, looking away before he saw more than he needed to and the girl slipped under his covers. "That's my bed, you know?"

"A gentleman would sleep on the floor." She replied, making a cute face and trying to look innocent, but the mischief in her eyes gave it all away.

"Don't make me laugh." The exiled Prince told her, looking down at her as he got closer. "You can't stay here, the military must be looking for you."

"It's not all of them, just a small part." The girl stated with a shrug, her tone changing to a monotone one. "So long as I lay low, nothing will go wrong. And a bit of gratefulness for that power I gave you shouldn't be too much to ask for, right?"

"So it was you after all, huh?"

"Dissatisfied?" C.C. asked him.

"On the contrary, I suppose you deserve to be thanked for it." The black haired teen replied with a smirk. "This power and my meeting with Strayed have sped my schedule tremendously, my schedule for Britannia's destruction, that is."

"And you think you can do that with just that power and an oversized Knightmare Frame from who knows where?" The girl asked with curiousness in her eyes.

"I was already planning to do it without any of those things."

"I knew you would turn out to be fascinating." She stated before yawning. "I'm going to sleep now."

"Wait a moment, how the hell are you still alive?" The black haired student asked, realizing he had been drawn away from his topic without even noticing. "And what was that contract you told me about?"

"Good night, Lelouch." The girl replied coldly, leaving no room for argument, and turned around, ignoring him.

"Why must it always be so complicated…?" The black haired teen sighed as he sat down on the floor.

Far from there, Hawk got to his house after leaving the black Glasgow in the Resistance's hideout. He closed the door behind him while he thought about that conversation he and Zero had with Suzaku. The Honorary Britannian reminded him a lot of himself back when he worked for the League. Hopeful, idealistic and a bit naïve, yet good intentioned and capable. The Lynx sighed, it was only a matter of time before something happened that would send the boy in a downwards spiral leading to who knew where if he stayed in the military, and heaven forbid if he ever became a pilot as it could be much worse. Would there be anyone around to reach out for him or would he simply continue to fall when it happened? He didn't know the answer to that one question.

Sighing to himself, the Lynx got to his bed. He had plans for tomorrow, as he had asked Kallen to show him around the Shinjuku Ghetto after school, he wanted to know in which state the place had been left in and how things were going around there. The rest of the Resistance had been shocked at the request, but let it be nonetheless. Even Tamaki had kept his mouth shut, although the blood covered Knightmare Frame Hawk had given back to them might have had something to do with keeping him quiet.

"If I had been on a more advanced machine or in my NEXT, I could have spared them." The Lynx muttered to himself as he thought of the two Sutherlands he had massacred without mercy, the pilots had sounded younger than he was, or Kallen for that matter, probably new recruits. "But as things stood, I had to take them out fast before they took me seriously and asked for reinforcements."

Unable to fall asleep despite how tired he was, the mercenary got up and walked down the stairs to the basement, deciding the Sky Ruler could use some checks and one last attempt at fully repairing it, and he could use a distraction or two before he started recalling every person that he had killed in his life, directly or indirectly.

And so, he spent the whole night working on the Sky Ruler's engine to try and bring the Over Boost and Primal Armor back online. He had managed to get the energy flow back to normal to allow for permanent flight and better firing ratio for the Hi-Laser Cannons the other day, but the other two features seemed to be impossible to repair through normal means, he'd have to replace the components. The main problem was where to find what he needed in order to accomplish that.

"Maybe I should ask Kallen and Ohgi to put on a word to their suppliers, and have Lelouch find what they can't get." The Lynx mused as he showered. "Then again, I better make an accurate part list before I do that. I wouldn't want to miss anything and have to ask for yet another favor." He exited the shower, dried his body, put on his uniform and left towards Ashford Academy, he was probably going to spend the day mentally listing components instead of paying attention.

Later that morning, Suzaku Kururugi was coming out of the central government building in the Settlement. He knew Lloyd and Cecile were supposed to come get him once they had loaded the second experimental Frame, the Lancelot Club, into their truck. But the pair of scientists seemed to be running late for whatever reason.

"Look out below!" A female voice got his attention and he looked up just in time to see a pink haired girl literally falling out of the sky.

Suzaku moved by reflex, catching her gently in his arms so that she wouldn't hit the ground and ended up falling on his back as a result. The girl looked fine though and smiled at him in thanks.

"I'm really sorry about that, I'm afraid I leapt before I looked this time." She told him as she sat on the ground, getting off of him.

"It doesn't matter, it's not like I was expecting a girl to fall from the sky and into my arms." The brown haired boy replied with a chuckle as he stood and offered her his hand. "Is there something wrong?" He asked, noticing her worried expression

"Actually, there is." She smiled with slight mischief in her eyes as he pulled her up. "There are a few bad guys chasing me, you'd do me a really big favor if you could get me out of here."

"I just hope he didn't get tired of waiting and left." Lloyd muttered as he and Cecile drove their truck down the road towards their meeting point. He then noticed something through the corner of his eye. "Oh my!"

"Isn't that Suzaku?" Cécile asked, looking through the window as the Honorary Britannian helped the girl up and talked with her for a few seconds before putting on some sunglasses and walking off with her.

"Let's follow them, I see no reason to interrupt. He was probably put through the third degree because of Zero, so I'll give him the day off to enjoy himself." The male scientist told her as he got comfortable on his seat. If a piece of equipment was overused it would crack, a rest would do wonders for that kid. "It's not like I was going to be in time to teach my class anyway, good thing I warned Lord Ashford beforehand."

"I still don't know how come he doesn't fire you Lloyd, you aren't there even half of the time you should be." His partner replied as they followed the two teens, it would seem Suzaku was showing the girl around the Tokyo Settlement. "I'm surprised your students remember your name."

"What can I say?" He chuckled as he stretched like a feline. "I make great first impressions."

Inside the building they were leaving behind, a plan to eliminate Jeremiah Gottwald for his supposed implication in this Orange affair Zero had brought to light was being discussed. The core members of the Purist faction in Area 11 had gathered, knowing their reputation was at risk because of that fool. The group had decided to trick Jeremiah into going somewhere in the Ghetto on his own and silently assassinate him before he caused any more trouble.

"Then we're in agreement." Lord Kewell concluded, and everyone present nodded. "Today at sunset, Orange will be purged."

"And my sons avenged, if not for Jeremiah's treachery and their beliefs in him, they'd still be alive today..." Another man added in a solemn yet pained tone. "I'm committing my most trusted personnel to help out in this."

"Thank you, Lord Barton." Kewell replied, putting a conforting hand on the man's shoulder.

A few hours later, in Ashford Academy, Kallen had approached Lelouch, who was sitting down on one of the many benches around the school grounds with a laptop on his lap and apparently sorting through all the things he had to get done for the Student Council meeting they had this afternoon.

"So, you can't trace that call back to its source?" The redhead asked, keeping her sick girl façade despite Lelouch having already found out the truth.

"I'm afraid not, it was received by a school phone." The other teen replied, not taking his eyes off the screen, which was actually displaying an article about Suzaku's release, until he had finished reading it. "There's no way to track a call received through an antique like that one."

"I see, no way to do that, huh?" She sighed, her attempts at tracking the ones received by the phone Zero gave her had proven fruitless too. "Thanks anyway." She was about to go about her business when Lelouch's eyes widened in shock at seeing something behind her. Curious about what could have impressed him so, she started to turn around to see it but her cellphone got her attention before she did.

Using the distraction and having noticed the Lynx with his phone in his hand, Lelouch gave a halfhearted apology and dragged the green haired girl out of sight while Kallen was busy with Hawk's text message. It didn't take long for the black haired teen to receive a message himself, one in which the mercenary said he wanted answers on what was happening and why that girl was still alive, but that he wasn't in a hurry, it could wait until the night.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Lelouch snapped at the green haired girl that had used his clothes to stroll around the campus. "You can't go walking around like that, you don't belong here!"

"Relax, I'd never leave the school grounds, so it's fine." C.C. replied monotonously. "Besides, I don't belong anywhere." She added, her tone sad, before something caught her attention, a girl marking a nearby wall with a nail clipper. "What's with her?"

"Oh, is she doing it again today?" Lelouch walked over to the green haired immortal and looked over the railing. "I ordered her to do so every day at this exact hour with my Geass."

"Geass?" C.C asked.

"It's the name of the power, isn't it?" The boy smirked at the apparent surprise in her voice. "It's what you said when we made our contract."

"So you're testing how long it lasts, huh?" She said in monotone before adding. "And using innocents for it."

"I need to know the limitations of this power of mine, now don't I?" Lelouch replied with a shrug before looking slightly scared. "I can only hope Hawk doesn't find out about this one, or I'll be in for an earful, or worse."

"Hawk's the pilot of that giant Frame, right?" C.C. asked, sitting on the railing and looking at the teen's eyes. "The guy that was with you in the truck when you entered it… and he's also a student here."

"Yes, I can tell he's not too fond of this power, even if he admits it has its uses and won't try to make me stop using it." The exiled Prince explained dismissively, not letting her drag him off the topic this time. "But back to what I was saying…"

"Don't worry, Lelouch." The girl told him as she got down from the railing. "I'm not going to do anything that would endanger us or our partnership. I'm your accomplice in this, your partner, so relax."

Lelouch humphed before walking away, he would have to trust her for now, he wasn't even sure if his power would work on the person who had granted it to him to begin with or if she even had a similar power, so it was better to leave her be and slowly gain her trust while analyzing her abilities. Besides, it was time to continue the lessons and then there was a Student Council meeting he needed to prepare for. With a bit of luck they'd be finished about an hour before sunset.

The day had passed rather fast for Suzaku Kururugi, showing Euphy, the girl he had met earlier, around was being a lot more entertaining than he had expected, despite the incident with the cat. They had walked around the Settlement the entire time and she was pleasant company to keep.

"So tell me, could you take me to one more place?" She asked him, her voice slightly more serious than it had been during the day, but he didn't really notice.

"Of course, my lady, where to?" He replied with a small bow, giving the impression that he was a servant and she a Princess, he mentally chuckled as he told himself _'As if.'_

"I want to see the Shinjuku Ghetto." She told him, catching the Honorary Britannian by surprise. "Take me there, Suzaku Kururugi, I have to see it with my own eyes." Suzaku was unable to say no, the seriousness in her eyes prevented him from doing so.

It was close to sunset when they finally reached the Ghetto and stopped close to one of the walls around them. They were all decorated with pictures of the deceased, incense and various gifts for the dead. It was a very sad sight for both of them, but they soon found something that caught their attention, something they weren't expecting.

"It really is in bad shape." A male voice Suzaku recognized was heard and the Honorary Britannian soon moved towards it, with Euphy close behind. "Damn, they destroyed as much as they could."

"Hawk. Hawk Magnus, is that you?" The Honorary Britannian asked, finding the brown haired mercenary there accompanied by a redhead he didn't recognize. They were both wearing the Ashford Academy uniform.

"Suzaku Kururugi, good to see you were freed." The Lynx replied with a smile, although he hadn't expected to find him there when he had asked Kallen to show him around, and he had to admit the sunglasses the guy was wearing were pretty cool too, albeit really bad camouflage. "And who's your friend?"

"My name is Euphy, it's a pleasure to meet you." The pink haired girl accompanying him replied politely.

"Likewise, this is my classmate, Kallen Stadfelt." The redhead weakly waved a hand in greeting.

"It's good to see you are well but I have to ask, what would bring two Britannian students here?" The brown haired Devicer was smiling kindly as he spoke.

"Not the same thing that brought those guys over there, that's for sure." Kallen seethed, dropping her mask for an instant as she glared at the two male students who were happily chatting about how cool blown up Elevens were and how awesome the Britannian military was for killing them like they had while taking pictures of the ruins. _'If only they were not in Ashford, I would…'_

"Sometimes I feel ashamed of my fellow humans." The Lynx stated in cold anger before walking towards the two students in question, hands in his pockets. "I'll be right back."

"What are you going to do?" Suzaku asked for the three of them.

"I'm going to teach them how it feels to be on the other side of the fork." Hawk replied before the loudest voice on the planet got his attention and caused him to chuckle. "Or I would, if that guy over there hadn't beaten me to the punch."

"Oh, no. I have to stop them before someone gets hurt!" The Honorary Britannian let his duffle bag fall on the ground as he sped towards the quarreling group of three Resistance members and two Britannian students. "Please, stop! Don't fight!"

"Shut up, you punk!" Tamaki yelled as he moved his arm in an arc towards the new voice, hitting whoever was charging at him straight in the face and striking his sunglasses out of his face, which caused him to come face to face with Suzaku Kururugi. "You're…"

"Suzaku Kururugi, Prince Clovis' murderer!" One of the students shouted in terror.

"This guy? Nah." Tamaki spat, glaring at the teen. "The one that killed Clovis was Zero, this clown here's just a pet, a pet for the Britannians to use as they please." The Resistance member smirked before throwing a punch at Suzaku.

It happened in an instant, a small sidestep and the fist travelled an inch away from Suzaku's face, the teenager then moved fast, grabbing his opponent's arm and using his own strength to throw him over his back and make him land on the floor hard with a cry of pain.

"I'll remind you that I have been trained as a soldier." The brown haired teen stated, still holding his opponent by the arm in a hold. "Please don't make me fight my own people."

"Like hell we're your people!" Tamaki countered angrily despite his position and inability to move.

"You're not one of us, that's for sure!" Another member of the Resistance told him as he charged at him, but was promptly thrown out of the way by a kick to the face courtesy of a silver haired teenager dressed in tattered clothes that had just popped out of nowhere.

"Three against one seems hardly fair, now doesn't it?" The newcomer stated, his voice sounded both menacing and very tired. "How about you just leave it be and be done with it?"

"Come on, let's go." Tamaki said in a grumpy tone and Suzaku let him go. Soon, the Resistance members had walked away into the Ghetto.

"Thanks, whoever you are." Euphy told the stranger as she, Hawk and Kallen approached. The two of them hadn't gotten involved to avoid any slip up from Tamaki about their identities. "I'm glad you and Suzaku didn't get hurt"

"You're welcome, I just couldn't stand by and let it happen." He replied with a bit of a smile before his body started swaying back and forth, slightly at first and then wildly as his eyelids seemed to fail in staying open. "Although, if you could get me a place to rest… that would be…" And he almost fell on his face, luckily both Hawk and Suzaku caught him before he did.

"He scared them off and he was about to faint?" The Lynx muttered in astonishment before chuckling. "I've met strange people in my life, but this guy just got to the top ranks in just a few seconds."

"I can't help but agree." Suzaku laughed as well, and Euphy had a small smile on her face. Kallen was torn between smiling and being angry, it was her friends that had been beaten, but it had been their own fault as well. "It's a good thing everyone's fine."

"No, it's not! My camera's broken because of them!" One of the Britannian students shouted, one of them was holding his broken camera, courtesy of Tamaki. "Why did you let them go? You should have killed them!

"Some Honorary Britannian you are!" His friend continued, not noticing they were getting into a fine mess. "And what was up with this guy, fainting like that. If he wasn't going to beat the crap out of them then why even bother coming?"

"You guys agree right?!" The first one asked looking at the other three Britannians present for support, only to be met with fierce glares and looks of askance. "What?"

No one said anything, it was Euphy who made the first move and slapped both of them hard, leaving a hand shaped, crimson red imprint on their cheeks much to their surprise. The two students fell on their backsides and the camera clattered on the ground, finally breaking completely.

"You're going to pay for that, it was my father's!" One of them shouted menacingly.

"Then pick it up and go tell him how you went into the Ghetto with it and nearly got beaten up by Elevens." Hawk told them with an edge in his voice that made a chill run down everyone's spines. "Or would you rather pick another fight that's going to end up in you guys crying for help again? If you have vocal cords left, that is."

The students looked into the Lynx's eyes, detecting the sure promise of a hard beating if they pushed things further, and audibly gulped. They stood silently, picked up the remains of their camera and ran away with as much speed as they could muster while the group of four looked on.

"At least they have survival instinct." He chuckled dryly as he met Suzaku's eyes.

"Was that really necessary?" The Honorary Britannian asked him with a serious look on his face. "You didn't need to threaten them like that, you could have just talked."

"It was the fastest way to end this mess, I'm sure you don't need further problems with the law, right?"

"Besides, they kind of deserved it." Kallen stated, keeping her sickly façade. It had been a miracle those two hadn't recognized her but she didn't want to drop it in front of these people. "As Hawk said, there are times I am also ashamed of my fellow humans."

"So you think Britannia needs to change?" Euphy asked, not looking away from the unconscious teen she was taking care of, and they both nodded in reply. She then added. "If you have the time, we could get him to somewhere more comfortable and talk about this. As long as you don't mind…"

An explosion nearby, and the fact that both Suzaku and Hawk had lunged for one of the girls and pushed them protectively on the ground by sheer reflex, cut her off. A second later, several Sutherlands approached a nearby circular building and moved inside, needless to say, it didn't look like a Britannian military exercise in the least.

"We need to get out of here!" Hawk stated as he analyzed the building. "We don't need to get caught in the crossfire if whatever's going on escalates."

"Agreed! I'll take care of him, you two get going." Suzaku replied, lifting the silver haired teen like a sack and carrying him over his shoulder before offering the pink haired girl his hand. "Come with me, Euphy!"

"Right!" She replied as she took it and he dragged her away, but she still managed to turn towards the other two teenagers and shout. "It was a pleasure to meet you, I hope we'll see each other again!"

"Same here." The Lynx stated before grabbing Kallen's hand and darting off, but instead of going away from the scene he was headed straight for the building were the sounds of fighting were coming from.

"Why are we going there?!" The redhead asked, freeing herself from his grip and running alongside him. There was no need to act frail any longer although she noticed her face was slightly hotter than it should be.

"Whatever's happening, there were only Sutherlands involved, and not enough to be a full Britannian squad." The mercenary explained as they moved, he had learnt to read these sort of situation well while working for the betraying society that was the League of Ruling Corporations. "Plus, they didn't use air transports, meaning that they're either another Resistance group that managed to steal them and are practicing, which is unlikely, or some important people in the government or the military trying to kill each other and not wanting to draw attention in the Settlement. Either way, I think it's worth investigating."

"I suppose you're right, Zero would be interested in both things as well." She replied after a few seconds of processing the information. "So what are we doing?"

"We're checking it out to see what it is, then we report it to the boss." He told her and she nodded as they reached the building and sneaked in, finding a group of ten Sutherlands surrounding a lone one.

"Looks like option two was the right one." Hawk mused as they hid behind some rubble. "And if I'm not wrong, the guy in trouble must be Jeremiah Gottwald, he would fit the."

Further away, Suzaku and Euphy had _accidentally_ been found by Lloyd and Cécile and had entered their truck after being urged by the pair of scientists. At the moment, Suzaku and Lloyd were having a small discussion about whether or not the Lancelot was going in to stop the fighting that was taking place.

"Isn't this a good occasion to gather battle data?" Suzaku asked, and that seemed to do the trick, as the white haired scientist smiled in a catlike manner.

"How very true, I knew I liked you for a reason!" Lloyd complimented excitedly while the brown haired teen ran towards the cockpit, not bothering to change into his pilot suit. "Cécile, go launch the Lancelot and do me a favor and ready the Club as well, just in case."

"But we have no…" The blue haired woman started before her eyes widened and she looked at the corner of the truck, where Euphy was taking care of the boy that had helped them out, then at Lloyd, who had just taken a helmet from a box, a helmet she recognized well. "Please don't tell me you're going to ask the poor, unconscious kid Suzaku brought with him to be the pilot of the Club."

"I have an eye for people, Cécile. And it's telling me this kid over there is as good as our first Devicer." The white haired man smiled like a cat as he spoke and tinkered with the device. "It worked last time, didn't it?"

"I'm ready, Miss Cécile." The impatient Lancelot pilot stated, having initiated the systems already.

"Alright Lloyd, you're the boss. Although Lady Enneagram is probably going to make a fuss about having to wait for the Grail to be completed." The woman sighed before introducing the data in the computer and opening the truck so that the experimental Frame could launch. "Z-01 Lancelot, you're clear for launch."

The machine did not delay even for a second and darted off towards the building that was housing the fighting at maximum speed, Suzaku was aware that the Frame was now armed with an experimental melee weapon called the Maser Vibration Sword, or MVS for short, he had been lucky the Lancelot manual he had read already included instructions on how to wield the weapons.

"I said it once and I'll say it again, he loves to run full throttle out of the gate." Lloyd chuckled as he waited for the helmet to finish its job, the small screen depicted a 51% before the noise from the white and gold Frame's exit woke their unconscious passenger. "Fifty-one percent while unconscious? That's one point higher than what Suzaku scored." He mused as the boy shook and then opened his eyes.

"Where…?" He started groggily as his vision focused on Euphimia's face while Lloyd removed the helmet unnoticed. "Oh, you're one of the girls that was with him, right? With the guy I helped."

"Yes, that's right." Euphy replied with a smile. "I'd like to thank you again, for helping Suzaku out… uhm..."

"Rai, my name is Rai. And it was nothing." The white haired teen said, smiling as well before he looked around, confused. "Where am I?"

"You're in the experimental Frame carrier truck of the ASEEC." Lloyd told him, needless to say he was grinning like a cat while Cécile just shook her head and sighed. "I'm Lloyd Asplund and we're right now in the middle of an improvised, experimental battle."

"Is that why Suzaku took the Lancelot." Euphy asked with a bit of worry. "What exactly is going on?"

"A bunch of fools from the Purist faction are having a quarrel it would seem." Lloyd explained in his usual jovial tone while scratching the back of his head. "And our gallant Suzaku, being how he is, decided to intervene and stop it, and I let him since it would help gathering data for the Lancelot."

"I have to stop them!" Euphy said determined before running off towards the building in question under the astonished looks of the three other people present.

"And it seems Princess Euphimia is about as concerned with the matter as our Devicer." The scientist chuckled before a rather heavy book hit his head, the Club's manual soared through the air and landed in front of Rai.

"Lloyd, she could get killed! We have to stop her." Cécile shouted in distress as the teen picked it up and started reading it out of sheer curiosity, but at a extremely rapid pace.

"Oh, right." The white haired scientist acted as if he had been oblivious to that while rubbing the bump on his head. "We wouldn't want the first thing Princess Cornelia sees when she gets here to be her sister's corpse." He shivered- "She'd hang us all for that, Eleven and Britannian alike."

"Is there any way I can help?" Rai asked, standing up and letting the manual fall on the ground, he had just read through the basics of the Frame and memorized them how he had done so was a mystery even to him.

"That depends, Rai. How much experience do you have in piloting Knightmare Frames?" Lloyd asked with a feline smile, as if all was going as planned, he had noticed the boy reading and had been impressed by his speed.

"I don't know, sir. But I can't just sit here and do nothing after knowing what's going on and that the people who helped me are in danger." The boy replied in a tone that hinted military training, and the look in his eyes was all Lloyd needed to see to know he had been right.

The scientist mentally congratulated his mind's eye and instinct as his grin widened and Cécile sighed dejectedly, knowing they'd be in for an earful from the Knight of Nine when she got to Area 11 and found her assigned unit taken away by an unknown teenager because of Lloyd's whims.

"Congratulations!" He shouted flippantly, throwing him the USB key for the Club, a blue one with silver decorations. "You're officially accepted as a Devicer for the ASEEC, your first assignment will be testing the Club in real combat and fight alongside the Lancelot. Any questions?"

"None." The boy replied, again hinting military training in his voice, and walked towards the open cockpit of the silver Frame.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Lloyd." The blue haired woman stated and her boss grinned at her.

"Oh, trust me. I have a lot of expectations on our mysterious new member." He told her with that ever present smile on his face and she just sighed again before preparing the launch sequence.

"Z-01/C Lancelot Club, you're clear for launch." And like its predecessor, the silver and blue Frame darted off towards fight, passing by a running Euphimia in the process of approaching the building and slowly but surely catching up to its white and gold counterpart which was just now jumping up the wall said structure.

"Lord Kewell! What is the meaning of this?!" Jeremiah had asked that question over and over as he did his very best to hold his own against the other ten members of the Purist faction that were trying to end his life.

"You should already know, Margrave Jeremiah." The blond haired second-in-command of the faction stated hatefully, spitting the title of the man that had disgraced them. "Princess Cornelia is due to arrive soon, and we wouldn't want a worm like you, that accepts bribes from scum such as Zero, to be here when she lands."

"For the last time, I have never heard of Orange, I have no idea what that is!"

"Then why did you let that man go?!" Another member asked. "Don't try to cover yourself with something as stupid as that you don't remember, Bartley offered that excuse and you made him pay regardless."

"But I'm telling the truth! It was all a trick from Zero! It's all his fault!" The blue haired Margrave replied desperately, being distracted long enough for a shot to disable his right arm and another to destroy one of his Land Spinners. Four of the Sutherlands charged at him, lances in hand and ready to skewer him alive as their pilots shouted All Hail Britannia. "No, I can't die. Not here! Not without having proven my loyalty to Lady Marianne after so long!"

"Stop this meaningless battle!" A voice shouted as a Slash Harken caught each of the Sutherlands charging at him by surprise, disarming them and blocking their advance. "You're all Britannian soldiers, there's no reason for you to fight each other!"

"Looks like our mysterious white knight decided to join in." Hawk mused from the spot he and Kallen were hidden. "And he's bringing new gadgets."

"Are those swords?" The redhead asked as she eyed the additions on the sides of the Frame's cockpit.

"The Special Corps has nothing to do with this, get out of our way!" Kewell shouted as the six Sutherlands armed with ranged weaponry opened fire on the Lancelot.

"I can't do that!" The pilot replied as the Blaze Luminous blocked the shots. "We are all on the same side, this battle is pointless!"

"Suzaku Kururugi… is saving me… after all I did to him." Jeremiah muttered, not being heard outside his Sutherland.

"All who interfere will die!" One of the Purists shouted as he threw the lance he recovered at the white Frame, only for it to be slashed apart by the blood red swords the Lancelot had just had unsheathed.

"No, no one dies today as long as I have something to say about it." The Eleven pilot stated fiercely as he readied himself for battle, crossing both weapons in front of the Lancelot's chest.

"They completed the MVSs?!" Kewell's voice trembled for a moment. "Still, we outnumber him ten to one, get Orange and then we'll deal with him!" He then shot the other Land Spinner on Jeremiah's Frame to stop him from escaping any time soon.

The Lancelot jumped down towards the middle of the arena like structure they were fighting in, landing close to the Margrave's Sutherland to protect him. He shot the Slash Harkens on his right side at one of the approaching Frames, sending the assault rifle in its hands flying through the air and taking out the Factsphere before turning towards the closest enemy Sutherland and repeating the move with the left side ones. The other eight enemies stopped on their tracks and put some distance between the white Frame and their own after witnessing its power.

"Surround them and strike at that same time. He can't stop us all at once!" Kewell commanded and the Purists did as told, circling around the Lancelot until it was the right moment to strike.

_'This is bad, even if the Lancelot could deal with them easily, I have to protect Lord Jeremiah and he can't move. The moment I advance towards one of the sides, the other will take the chance and strike.'_ Suzaku's mind was racing as he tried to predict which would be the best course of action, but that had always been Lelouch's specialty, not his. "I'd really need a bit of help in this one."

As if on cue, a silver and blue machine that seemed to share the Lancelot's design, although its face was decorated with a large blue horn, kicked one of the Sutherlands away before cutting off the Factsphere with the right arm's Slash Harken. The unit then back flipped, landing perfectly behind the Lancelot and effectively creating a better protection around Lord Jeremiah's Sutherland.

"They had more than one of those, huh?" Hawk mused aloud as he observed the newcomer. It had the same emerald eyes and the same type of Slash Harkens as its sister unit, it probably shared that green shield as well, but it wasn't carrying the red swords that the Lancelot had. "Now I know Zero will be interested in this."

"You're right. That thing was what beat us in Shinjuku, and now there's two of them to deal with." Kallen agreed as she observed the situation as well. "This could be problematic for whatever Zero's planning, right?"

"That depends, if he knows of their existence and abilities he may be able to think up a countermeasure for them. Our job right now is to make sure he gets as much information as possible." The Lynx explained, not taking his eyes from the fight. "A pity we don't have any way to record it for showing."

"The Club, they found a pilot for it in such a short amount of time?!" Kewell was dumbstruck. "But I thought that unit was made for the Knight of Nine! Does that mean she's here already?"

"Suzaku, we need to move this guy somewhere where they can't surround us." Rai told the Honorary Britannian over a private channel, showing his face on the screen. "You've got more weapons than I do so you'll have to open a way, I'll carry this guy and follow you."

"I have no idea why Lloyd let you pilot the Club, but I won't look at a gift horse in the mouth." Suzaku replied, preparing to do his part. "Could you at least tell me who I'm fighting alongside with?"

"My name's Rai, I'd like to tell you more but time's rather scarce at the moment."

"Understood, let's get to know each other better once this fight is over." The brown haired teen moved the controls and the Lancelot charged towards one of the sides while the Club lifted Jeremiah's Sutherland much to everyone's surprise and followed after him. "Get out of the way!" Suzaku shouted over the open channel.

The Lancelot duo plunged through the encirclement as if it was made out of paper, with Suzaku disabling two more of the Sutherlands and Rai taking care of a pursuing one by firing his hip mounted Harkens backwards as he fled. Only four enemies remained and Jeremiah was safe and sound, being protected by the two experimental Frames and with a wall behind him to avoid anyone sneaking up from behind them.

"You damn pests, why are you interfering?!" Kewell shouted enraged. "That man's a traitor that should die before he disgraces us any further."

"Then capture him and give him a fair trial!" Rai replied through the speakers as the Club prepared for further fighting. "Handling it like this and sweeping it under the rug is not going to solve any of your problems!"

"He's right, even if what you say is true he deserves a chance to answer for his actions in court." Suzaku added, MVSs at the ready to continue even if he didn't want to. "Please listen to reason and stop this meaningless battle!"

"Tsk. So be it." Kewell feigned to give in but he was sending a text message to his other three subordinates, they were to use the Chaos Mines to finish the job, he'd make up some excuse to justify the damage to the Lancelot units, even if he had to pay them out of his pockets with his family's money.

"Then you understand!" Suzaku smiled for a moment, thinking they had gotten through their thick skulls, only to be proven wrong when the four cylinders flew in their direction.

"Stop this fight at once!" Euphimia commanded as she reached the place, only to find herself standing by the two experimental machines and Jeremiah's wrecked Sutherland just as the Chaos Mines went off.

Both Pilots reacted fast, Suzaku stood firm in front of Jeremiah, Blaze Luminous at full power and ready for anything they threw at him. He could only hope this rain of death was not as powerful as the cannons the machine he fought in Shinjuku carried on its back or it would be for naught. Rai moved right in front of the pink haired Princess and did the same thing, determined to save the girl's life, both she and Suzaku had helped him out and got him somewhere safe after all, he was going to return the favor.

The countless iron pellets rained down on the two machines, both pilots more worried about the person they were protecting than their own life. Rai took a moment to think that, for an amnesiac with no memories other than his first name, he was pretty good at using this unit he had never even stepped on in his life, but soon filed it away for later.

After what seemed like an eternity, the deadly rain stopped and once the dust and smoke cleared, Kewell and his people were greeted by the sight of two very menacing looking Knightmare Frames and an even more menacing pinkette girl that they all soon recognized as Euphimia Li Britannia, slowly coming to understand that they had almost killed an Imperial Princess.

"Isn't that the girl that was with Suzaku?" Hawk asked as they both observed the scene, they had been lucky enough to be out of the Chaos Mines' range but they were also out of hearing range of whatever she was saying.

"What's she doing there? I thought they were leaving."

"Speaking of which, we should do that. We don't need to get caught now if Suzaku ends up following after her and someone spots us." Kallen nodded and they both sneaked away from the spot a few seconds before Suzaku and Rai opened the cockpit of the Lancelots and showed themselves.

"We are sorry, Your Highness." Kewell and the rest of the Purist's whose units were functional kneeled them in front of Euphy as both teen reached the ground and walked up to the girl.

"My Lady." Suzaku started before kneeling, "I apologize for treating you so familiarly throughout the day."

"I should do that too." Rai kneeled as well. "And I thank you for aiding me today."

"Please stand, both of you." She told them with an unreadable expression on her face just as one last Sutherland entered the scene, piloted by Villetta Nu. "I'd like a few words with you both, please follow me."

"Lord Jeremiah, are you alright?!" The dark-skinned woman shouted as she eyed the wrecked Frame of her superior, who was now coming out of it.

"I am fine Villetta, and I never thought I'd say this but I have Suzaku Kururugi to thank for it." The Margrave admitted. He hated the numbers, yes, but he was not so conceited as to not give credit where it was due. "Although I wouldn't be in this mess had Zero not done whatever he did to me when he snatched him away the other day."

"You still claim that, Orange!" Kewell shouted menacingly. "Cut the crap, we all know what…"

"Silence!" Euphimia commanded with as much authority as she could muster, which seemed to be sufficient. "No further fighting shall happen in my sight, is that clear Lord Kewell?"

"Yes, Your Highness." The blond man replied between his teeth. "We're leaving."

Once the Purist faction had left and Villetta had carried Jeremiah away for treatment of his wounds, Lloyd and Cécile arrived at the scene. The white haired scientist was smiling like the Cheshire cat as the Princess and his two Devicers talked about what had happened, it was then that a question got his attention.

"So, what can you tell us about yourself, Rai?" The pinkette asked with a smile, hoping to divert from the topic she had brought up with Suzaku, a topic that had been rather depressing. "I'd also like to know if there's something I could do to thank you for helping Suzaku stop the fighting… and saving my life."

"I'm afraid I can't tell you much, Your Highness." The boy replied with a sad smile as he rubbed the back of his head. "I woke up around here a couple days ago. All I remember is my name and nationality, and I also know now that I am skilled in piloting Knightmare Frames. Everything else is a blur, like a thick fog I just can't manage to pierce through."

"Oh, my." Euphimia exclaimed in surprise before she added in a sad voice. "I'm sorry, I did not know."

"But if you moved the Club like that, then it means you're a trained Knightmare pilot. And you're also Britannian, right?" Rai nodded at Suzaku's question, he knew he was Britannian, it was one of the few things he did know.

"Then all you need to do is stay with us." Lloyd concluded smiling, getting into the conversation and startling them. "Think about it, if you're from the Britannian military then the best way to know who you are is to stay there and find someone who recognizes you, right? And we are part of the military."

"Lloyd, don't you go enlisting people without their consent!" Cécile told him, but he waved her off.

"Actually, that's a good idea." The silver haired teen replied with a kind smile after considering it. "But are you sure you guys don't mind?"

"So long as you keep piloting the Club and showing the results you showed today, you can go around dancing in the nude inside the truck for all I care." Lloyd stated happily and without a sign of embarrassment, getting more than a few nervous chuckles from the people around him.

"Regardless, there's one thing I have decided to do." Euphimia started after a few seconds of silence. "You are both old enough to be in high school, and perhaps that would help Rai with his memories as well, so how about I get you two into one of the schools in the Settlement?"

"But I'm an honorary Britannian, Your Highness! There's no way they would accept me in a Britannian School."

"You seem to be forgetting, Suzaku, that the girl in front of you is the most powerful woman on Area 11 at the moment." Lloyd told him, grin plastered across his face. "There's next to nothing she can't get you right now."

"Please don't say those things, Earl Asplund." Euphimia replied, slightly embarrassed.

"Wait, Lloyd's an Earl?!" Both Rai and Suzaku were shocked at the information as their heads turned towards the scientist.

"Oh, yes I am. But it's been a really long time since anyone's called me that." The scientist replied absently. "Back to the matter on hand, I could suggest a school for these two, Your Highness. After all, I work there as a teacher. It's my cover to find promising Devicers among the young Britannians." He clarified before adding. "The people in my class are rather nice and I am sure they'd give them both a warm welcome."

"I'll take your suggestion, Earl Asplund." Euphimia replied happily and Suzaku soon remembered that both Lelouch and Hawk were in Lloyd's class, and Nunnally was probably in that school as well. He was happy for a moment but then thought that, should anything happen because of him being an Eleven in a Britannian school, they'd be dragged into it if he acted friendly towards them. The same thing would happen if he appeared close to Rai while in school.

"By the way, Rai. Since you don't know your surname and we are a bit alike in looks… I'll inscribe you as Rai Asplund, you're my younger cousin until we find out who you really are. How does that sound?" Lloyd asked the white haired teen who looked taken aback for a second but soon nodded with a smile. "Well then, we better get Her Highness to the central building soon, I'm sure your sister is about to arrive."

"And I have just been told that Lady Enneagram joined her to start getting used to her prototype." Cécile added to Lloyd's dismay, it was the first time anyone present but Cécile saw anything that was not reminiscent of smile on the man's face.

"I'll go get my earplugs ready, I'm sure they'll help." The white haired scientist stated, dragging himself towards the truck. "And before you say it, Rai, no, you can't lend her the Club, she'll wait for the Grail. We'll even customize it for her and be done with it."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"So another of those new models has appeared, huh?" Lelouch had listened to Hawk's report intently as they spoke through the video feed they had finally managed to get. "I should have expected it. Still, it's little more than a nuisance now that I know what it's capable of."

"Careful, don't let your victory in your debut get to your head." The Lynx warned, the exiled Prince seemed to be getting quite overconfident in a very short amount of time. "They can still upgrade and equip them with new things."

"He's right, you know?" C.C. agreed from the bed. She was sitting in front of a stack of Pizza boxes and eating one after another as if she had a black hole for stomach. "Pride comes before a fall."

"I'll be careful." The black haired teen replied. "Now then, I owe you an explanation, now don't I?"

"You do, yes."

"In short, C.C. is immortal." The Lynx nearly spat the water he was drinking when he heard that. "She can get shot wherever and her body will heal in a matter of time, I suppose how long it takes depends on the severity of the wound."

"Considering I jumped from one Earth to another through a massive explosion, I'd say immortality is not that hard to believe in." Hawk said after he had gotten over the initial surprise. "I'll assume she was being experimented on by the Britannians."

"I was, yes." The girl replied. "And then the Resistance got me, thinking I was poison gas, the rest, as they say, is history."

"And you granted Lelouch this power of his for a reason you won't reveal." C.C. nodded at the mercenary's question. "This is starting to feel like a reunion of the League, everyone hiding something and only revealing what they deem necessary."

"We're going to fight that sort of war now with that sort of allies. Can you do it?" Lelouch asked him.

"I could do it before and I can do it now." The Lynx replied, frowning as he sighed. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I suppose that's right." The exiled Prince chuckled. "We're going to keep gathering information for now, until it's time to make our next move."

"Understood." Hawk replied before the line was cut. "I need to get used to this. When I joined ORCA, it was already a fine and working organization. This time I'm in it from the beginning, I have to understand that things are not going to be as good until we get to the level." He muttered to himself as he climbed up the stairs and got to his room, ready to get some sleep.

"Aren't you trusting that guy too much?" C.C. asked as Lelouch shut down the laptop.

"He's hard to predict at times, but he hates Britannia, and knows that he can't bring it down alone." The raven haired teen explained with a grin. "That's why he won't betray me as long as he thinks that I am the only one that can bring about a better world."

"And if he does find that person?"

"Things could get really grim." Lelouch replied, sweating a bit at the prospect as he showed a nervous smile. "He's a one man army, taking him down would take a lot of effort and resources, I'd be challenged even if I had an army at my disposal. His talent in piloting is astounding, his reflexes and intellect are top notch, and he has the experience of two wars in his pocket."

"Then you better stay on his good side." The green haired girl said monotonously, although there was a small hint of amusement in her voice. "Now tell me one more thing. Why do you want to change the world?"

"For someone who does not answer my questions, you sure ask a lot of them." The raven haired teen chuckled as he looked at her.

"You could always stay silent like I do." She stated with a small smile.

"Tell me, is it good to be strong?" Lelouch started, looking out the window. "Is it so good that the weak must be discarded because they are not good enough? I saw war with my own eyes seven years ago, I saw the suffering, the filth, the decay and the consequences." He took a deep breath. "I want a world where Nunnally can be happy, a world where the word war does not exist and we don't need to lose any more loved ones."

"And to have that utopia you seek, what would you do?"

"It's actually quite simple." Lelouch replied grinning. "All the suffering will end when someone wins and stops the problem."

"So you plan to control the entire world to make it stop? Taking lives now to avoid more of them being snuffed away in the future?" The boy nodded at her questions and she allowed herself another small smile. "You are indeed fascinating, Lelouch Vi Britannia."

* * *

Well then, chapter's over, and I'm pretty satisfied with it. Even if I did write Lelouch and C.C.'s meeting while half asleep.

In case you're wondering, the topic Euphimia tried to change there at the end was the same one she and Suzaku spoke of in the original episode five of Code Geass R1, that scene that keeps changing from Lelouch to Suzaku as they speak of the what they saw seven years ago while she and Suzaku look around Shinjuku.

Now then, next topic: Rai. I know he looks, and is, a bit broken, but the guy is like a fusion of Lelouch and Suzaku with a bit of Gino thrown into the mix in the looks department. He's an excellent pilot and great tactician so I wanted to convey that here by having him pilot the Club with just a fast read of the controls and to be the mind of the battle. Still, he's not as good as any of them in their fields, although he can pull a victory or two if he catches them off guard. Additionally, as some may have guessed, he is my surprise for Euphimia, so any SuzakuxEuphy fans can start hating me right about now, just let me tell you I do like that pairing myself, I just wanted to try something different in my story. Also, Rai has his Geass, he just doesn't remember it yet and he won't be remembering it for while.

And finally, Next chapter: Cornelia arrives with two additional characters and Saitama happens, but differently and with more people. We'll also get to know about the Answerer's whereabouts at the end of that chapter. And then, a chapter later, the Black Knights' debut in Kawaguchi, I'm really looking forward to writing that but Saitama comes first, expect it to be a long battle too, as I have various fronts to cover there in order to make it work the way I want it to.

Well then, nothing more to say so let's see what your thoughts on the chapter are. Please review and do not flame (Lelouch and Rai command you at the same time).


	7. Chapter 06: The Battle of Saitama

I'm back. And I bring my longest chapter yet. I actually wanted to update my other stories but I got really inspired to update this one so here you go.

I also had a very interesting conversation via PM with the reader Amir-015. He asked a couple questions I'm sure some of you have asked yourselves and would like answered so I'm going to post that conversation here:

* * *

-**Amir-015**: Just how experienced is Hawk?

**-Me**: In Mech Battle he has around forty missions under his belt, ranging from infiltration and single target destruction to protecting or destroying entire military bases and armies, facing Arms Forts, several of them at times, on his own and taking on two and three NEXTS at the same time. He's always emerged victorious, although not unscathed. He's also fought in single combat against every NEXT pilot in Collared and ORCA and beat them at some point, although some battles were inofficial and his Rank remained the same in the Collared hierarchy.

Outside his machine, he's been taught the basics every soldier knows and has put them to good use on several occasions, he knows how to sneak around and he's good with a gun and in hand-to-hand combat, although he's no Suzaku there. He's also a pretty good hacker and programmer and has a degree on NEXT Engineering due to his interest in them and his working for Rosenthal. (If you're thinking he's a watered down version of Kira Yamato, I find myself agreeing after writing this.)

If you need to compare him to something, I think an end series Gundam Pilot would be still be superior to him by a fair margin in skill, as would end of series Suzaku and Kallen, but he's not too far from that. It would be accurate to say he can go toe to toe with a Knight of the Round and even two if he's completely focused on bringing them down and lets absolutely nothing distract him.

**-Amir-015**: Has he ever experienced defeat?

It seems like his entire life in centered in a time of war. A person like that would find it hard to socialized in a time of peace.

When he's fighting someone that absolutely disgusts him (like Bradley) would he resort to brutal and savage ways of killing him like using his bare hands to crush Bradley's skull?

**-Me**: That depends on what you consider a defeat.  
He has lost a couple battles and been pardoned by his opponents, Armored Cores do not have an ejection system or anything of the sort, so the only way to be still alive after being beaten is to be pardoned by your opponent, which is as humilliating as it sounds for a Lynx. He has also experienced the loss of several comrades and the inability to save them, in my opinion that also counts as a defeat.

As you have gathered, if you had Strayed choose between talking things out or knocking out/killing the source of the problem, he'll take option 2 nine times out of ten. That's also the reason he spends so much time in the simulator and repairing the Sky Ruler, he's pretty restless and alert due to having been brought up in a time of war. Still, socializing is not forbidden during war, and he became good friends with several Lynx, May Greenfield and Takafumi Arisawa in particular. He was also quite close to Thermidor, Malzel and other members of ORCA.

As pictured by the fact that he wanted to stomp Charles with the Sky Ruler, I'd say yes if given the chance, he would repay suffering with suffering, and I do have a special fate for Bradley in R2.

* * *

Thanks to everyone that read, followed, favorited and/or reviewed. Your reviews will be answered after the chapter due to the sheer length of this author's note.

* * *

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Code Geass or any of its spin-offs, nor do I own anything related to the Armored Core franchise, unless you count my copy of the Armored Core For Answer game, that I do own. All I own that is shown in this story are Hawk Magnus, the design of his NEXT/s, the K-Filter and the SKAI computer installed in it.

* * *

Chapter 06: The Battle of Saitama

The class was brimming with conversation about Zero, as it had been ever since the masked man had rescued Suzaku Kururugi and admitted to having been the one to kill Prince Clovis. Hawk and Kallen were sitting on their seats while running through their notes, rumor had it there was going to be a surprise today and in school that word tended to be accompanied by exam. However, the surprise ended up being that Professor Lloyd was going to teach them today, or so everyone thought as the man entered the classroom.

"Alright people, quiet down and get to your seats, class is about to start." The teacher told them in his overly happy tone. "But before we get into any of that, I have a couple people to introduce. Come in, you two."

Everyone's eyes turned to the door, where two teenagers were now standing, one had short brown hair and green eyes, the other had slightly longer silver hair and azure eyes. Everyone was surprised at seeing Suzaku Kururugi in an Ashford Academy uniform, and both Hawk and Kallen gaped at seeing the guy that had helped Suzaku the other day in the Ghetto standing there as well.

"I'm Suzaku Kururugi, and I'll be starting here today in Ashford Academy." The Honorary Britannian greeted. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"I'm Rai Asplund, nice to meet you." The white haired teen said with a pleasant smile, and many boys nodded at the similarities between him and their teacher while several girls developed pupils in the form of hearts for whatever reason. "I'll be counting on you guys to show me the ropes."

"Now that that's out of the way, why don't you two take the seats in the last row? Behind Lelouch Lamperouge, that handsome kid looking at you in shock over there." Some chuckled at Lelouch's expense as he quietly coughed and recovered a normal expression.

Once the two newcomers had taken their seats, classes started. Throughout the first few periods no one said anything, but once it was time for lunch break the whispers about Suzaku's implication in Prince Clovis' murder were flying all around the place. There were also a couple girls complaining that they couldn't get close to Rai because they were scared of the Honorary Britannian, which was seriously getting on Lelouch's, Hawk's and Kallen's nerves since, after what they had seen, or knew, of him, they were fully aware that Suzaku would literally take a bullet for these people who would never consider returning the favor, or even taking him to a place to heal should it actually happen.

Lelouch stood wordlessly as his classmates discussed the matter. Knowing Suzaku's eyes were on him the whole time, he walked towards the door and casually pulled up his collar. While to anyone else it might have seemed simply that, to Suzaku it was something else entirely. What Lelouch had done was part of a secret code they had both created as kids, to speak without the adults knowing what they were saying, that particular sign meant to meet in the roof.

Suzaku soon excused himself and left towards the roof of Ashford Academy, leaving Rai behind and on his own in front of a horde of girls that were a second away from trying to assault him, he could only thank whatever divine being was watching over him when the two students he had met in the Ghetto approached him, blocking the possible stampede.

"So your name is Rai Asplund, huh?" The brown haired boy said with a welcoming smile as he extended his hand. "We never got to learn that yesterday when you collapsed. I'm Hawk Magnus, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Kallen Stadfelt." The redhead added as he shook hands with Hawk. "It's a pleasure as well."

"Same here." Rai replied, smiling at both of them.

"I was wondering, has anyone showed you around the school yet?" The Lynx asked, just for curiosity's sake.

"Actually, no. I just followed Uncle Lloyd here." Rai made a careful note to keep referring to Lloyd like that.

"We can show you around if you want." Kallen stated with a smile as almost every girl in the class seethed and muttered about her being way too close with three of the class' good looking guys First Hawk, then Lelouch and now Rai.

"I'd like that." The white haired teen replied, gathering his things. "Where to?"

"How about the cafeteria? I bet you're hungry like everyone else." Hawk suggested as they came out of the class.

The group of three got something to eat and started their tour around the Academy. Meanwhile, a small reunion was taking place in the rooftop. It had taken Suzaku a bit of time to find the stairs leading to the place.

"Seven years since the last time we used this sort of thing, right?" Lelouch asked, getting a nod from his childhood friend in reply.

"I'm glad you're fine. I was worried about you." Suzaku smiled happily. "I'm also glad to know Hawk made it out as well."

"Yeah, if you hadn't protected us we would have died there." The black haired teen admitted, remembering the moment when Suzaku had been shot.

"I was just returning that favor from seven years ago." His friend replied, still smiling but his features soon became serious. "By the way, whatever became of that girl?"

"I have no idea, we separated from her while running away." Lelouch lied, not wanting to get his friend into the mess. "Besides, shouldn't you know more on that matter?"

"I'm afraid the only people who knew what that was about were the members of the Royal Guard." Deciding that the topic was way too depressing for their reunion, Suzaku started bringing up random stuff as best he could. The two stayed there for a while, simply chatting about whatever came to mind until the Honorary Britannian decided it was time to bring up the matter he had wanted to discuss the most. "It was nice talking with you Lelouch, but we should act as strangers from now on."

"Why should we do that?" He asked in surprise. "I wanted you to come with me and see Nunnally tonight."

"You've seen how they looked at me and heard what they said, if I get close to you then both you and Nunnally may get caught up in it." Suzaku explained with a serious look on his face. "This will be the last time we…"

Before the Honorary Britannian could continue with his point, the door to the roof opened, letting three people out. Two boys and one girl that both Lelouch and Suzaku recognized easily.

"And this is the roof, pretty good to relax when you're feeling stressed or want to have a private conversation." Hawk explained and Rai seemed to be taking careful note of everything the Lynx was saying as he ate his sixth meat bun. "And looks like there's someone here doing that already. Hi there, Lelouch, Suzaku."

"Hey Hawk, were you guys showing Rai around?" Lelouch asked with a smile, thanking them for the intervention.

"We were, yes." Kallen replied in her usual voice when she was in the Academy until an innocent question popped on her mind. "By the way, do you two know each other?"

"Oh, no, I was just…."

"We're friends." Lelouch stated matter-of-factly before Suzaku could even try to get away from it. "We met a long time ago, when I first came to Area 11, and he helped me out a lot."

"Good to know, any friend of Lelouch can be considered a friend of mine, so no worries." The Lynx stated before the Honorary Britannian reacted. "Besides, we met him the other day already, didn't we Kallen?"

"Yeah, he helped a couple of students from our school, although they weren't exactly grateful." The redhead replied. It had taken her a lot of time and a bit of convincing to get to that conclusion but she had finally admitted that what Suzaku had done to Tamaki and the others in the Ghetto had been the right thing, mostly.

"Good to know because I have urgent news!" Milly Ashford shouted from the door, taking everyone by surprise and nearly giving them a heart attack. "Professor Lloyd has asked that both Rai and Suzaku enter the Student Council, and you know what that means."

"Random party of the week." The three council members muttered to themselves, getting strange questioning looks from the two unaware boys as the bell signaling the start of the afternoon classes was heard along with both Lelouch's and Suzaku's stomachs, reminding everyone present that those two hadn't had anything to eat yet, and Rai held his two remaining buns protectively, just in case.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Central Government building, Princess Cornelia's plane had just arrived. The lavender haired Witch of Britannia was anxious to get out of the transport and yet not willing to at the same time. Her main reason was one of the people accompanying her. The Knight of Nine, Nonnette Enneagram. The woman was the second person Cornelia respected the most, the first had been Empress Marianne, but like the late Empress, Nonnette also had some… personality issues.

"Oh, come on, Cornelia." The overbearing, green-haired woman started, trying to get the Princess to stand up while the three males along them looked on. "It's your grand entrance in Area 11, you have to do it right."

"The only way to do it right, as you say, would be to execute Zero the moment I get out of this plane." The Princess replied with anger.

"And I keep telling you, you need to do things one at a time." Nonnette countered with a smile. "First establish your position, then hunt the guy down. It's simple."

"Why exactly did you come here, Nonnette?" Cornelia asked as she stood, she had tried to get that answer many times during the flight, but the purple eyed woman had evaded the question skillfully.

"I wanted it to last a while longer, but no matter." She replied as they approached the door of the plane, followed by their three subordinates. The rest of Cornelia's forces that had accompanied her were already waiting for her outside. "I've been sent here by your Brother Schneizel to act as a Devicer for one of the ASEEC machines being tested here, although I thought I'd get a machine I wouldn't like until I read the last report they sent you."

"Schneizel sent a Knight of the Round for such a thing?" Cornelia's voice showed surprise yet her face did not, the door to the outside was opening and she had to keep an appearance in front of her soldiers and the bunch of corrupt politician Clovis had probably surrounded himself with.

"Welcome to Area 11, Sister." Euphimia Li Britannia, dressed in a beautiful, white feathered dress greeted as they finished walking down the plane's stairs.

"It is Viceroy to you, Sub-Viceroy Euphimia." Cornelia replied sternly. "Even if we are sisters, protocol must be kept at all times in public."

"You're always too serious about everything." Nonnette sighed with a hand on her front while Euphimia lowered her head in apology.

"I heard about what you did, Sub-Viceroy, it was really reckless of you." Cornelia continued, ignoring Nonnette like everyone else that was used to the woman's personality did. "Please, do not do such a thing again, we have lost enough already."

"I understand, please forgive me, Viceroy." The pink haired Princess bowed in apology and Cornelia smiled slightly, proud of her behavior.

"Now then, what is our schedule?" The Witch of Britannia asked the man in charge of her arrival.

"Yes, Your Highness. The first thing is a welcome party we have readied for you and…" He couldn't continue on due to the gun Cornelia pointed at his head. "W-What is the meaning of this?"

"Sloppy, senile… corrupt." Cornelia listed, almost in a bored tone. "I didn't come here to attend your parties, I came here to avenge my brother and put order in Area 11. Now where is the man that killed him?"

"We do not know." The man stated fearfully.

"Then what are you doing standing around here? Go look for him you old fool!" She commanded angrily, causing the guy to obey out of sheer terror. "Looks like this Area needs our usual treatment. Don't you think?"

The question had been directed to Gilbert G. P. Guilford and Andreas Darlton, Cornelia's personal Knights and most trusted Generals. Guilford was a slender man with long black hair tied in a ponytail and thin glasses over his azure eyes while Darlton was a mountain of man with short brown hair and black eyes, he had a scar crossing his face as well.

"It would seem so, Your Highness." Darlton replied with a smirk.

"We'll get ready to drag Zero out of his hideout as we destroy any terrorist bases we find." Guilford added after his partner. "It shouldn't be too difficult."

"Hi there!" Lloyd's voice caught them all by surprise. The scientist had finished his classes in Ashford about half an hour ago and was ready to tell Nonnette about the fact that her unit would take a little longer to be available, despite how much it terrorized him now that the woman was finally here. "It is a pleasure to see you here, Viceroy Cornelia. Could I request Lady Nonnette to accompany me?"

"Earl Asplund." Cornelia said as she eyed the man. "Just the man I wanted to see, I understand you gave the Lancelot to an Eleven pilot…"

"Who, along with the Club's new pilot, played an important part in saving her Highness Euphimia and stopping a rift in our forces?" Nonnette finished for her, and Lloyd paled. He had hoped the Knight of Nine wouldn't know about the fact that he had given her unit to someone else and he could simply make something up to cover it. "I hope you have a couple spare Gloucesters, Your Highness. Looks like I and my assistant will be helping you until the third Lancelot unit is finished and sent here."

"I'm sure it can be arranged." Cornelia replied with a confident smile as Lloyd paled further. Neither Zero nor the JLF would know what hit them with the Knight of Nine on her side of all people, but she was determined not to make use of Nonnette and her assistant too often, she didn't need them becoming a crutch she ended up depending on. "Now, Sub-Viceroy, I'm sure you have matters to attend to."

"It shouldn't take too long, just a couple weeks, three at most." Lloyd explained nervously, something he was not used to doing, while Euphimia bowed slightly and left, catching her sister's message.

"Please, Earl Asplund. Don't think I am offended." The Knight of Nine smiled. "In fact, I should thank you. Out of the three designs, the Grail was the one I preferred. It is much more fitting for my fighting style."

"Then, there'll be no repercussions?" Lloyd asked with a hint of hope in his voice, and almost felt like jumping in happiness when the woman nodded. "Thank goodness, I honestly thought I'd be cut into confetti for that one."

"If you'd like, I can make it happen." The black haired, red eyed assistant Nonnette had brought with her said, his eyes brimming with bloodlust.

"Asakim, no need for your jokes right now." Nonnette told him, displaying a small hint of anger, but that was enough to send chills down everybody's spine. The Knight of Nine's wrath was feared like Lady Marianne's had been when she was still alive.

"Another time then." The man, Asakim Dowin, replied with a sick smile, not afraid in the least.

"It seems the rumors about the Black Dragon are true." Guilford commented offhandedly, sending an analytic look at the black haired man. "Your lust for blood no matter the situation equals that of the Knight of Ten, Luciano Bradley."

"The Dragon and the Vampire love to compete to see who gets the most blood flowing." Darlton added with a scowl, eyeing the black clad soldier carefully and not liking him one bit. "Or so I've heard."

"Enough chatter." Cornelia commanded. "We have matters to attend to as well."

"Yes, Your Highness." Everyone echoed in reply.

"Begin unloading the Gloucesters we brought and prepare to customize two of the spare ones for Lady Enneagram and Sir Dowen, paint them in their colors as well." She continued authoritatively as she walked towards the entrance to the actual building, followed by her troops and a few of the soldiers in Area 11, Lloyd had also tagged along. "Earl Asplund, I'm promoting your two Devicers to the rank of Warrant Officers for their deeds, I find that sufficient reward. However, I make it a point not to rely on the Numbers or the Special Corps too often, so unless your units are deemed necessary you won't be allowed to participate in any battles."

"And should that black and white machine appear?" One of the soldiers asked, one of the few that had survived the encounter with the Sky Ruler, mainly because Strayed had chosen to let them eject. "The Lancelot was the only thing capable to fight evenly with it, perhaps with two of them we can actually defeat it."

"Please, soldier, do not underestimate the Gloucester, or me." Cornelia shot him a cold glare that made him and anyone with similar doubts gulp. "Speaking of the Black Titan, I want the recordings of every unit that fought it in my office tomorrow morning."

* * *

Three days after Suzaku and Rai had joined the school and the student council, Hawk couldn't believe how close everything had been to being revealed. How in the goddamn world had a freaking cat gotten hold of Zero's mask and paraded all over the campus with it?! Not to mention he was now understanding why Lelouch had joked about him being willing to bring the Sky Ruler to the Student Council very soon, Milly was truly a troublesome woman. When the blond haired President had learned that there was a cat running around campus and that Lelouch was desperately chasing after it, she quickly surmised the cat had taken some sort of embarrassing secret from him, which was partly true, and in a bid to get some blackmail material had organized a hunt for the feline, promising a kiss from one member of the student council as a reward for whoever caught it, winner's pick.

The result had been hectic, to say the least. All over the school, the students chased the cat in a ridiculous display of various skills, such as the Rugby team literally taking out the competition or the Horse Riding Club displaying their 'superior mobility' over the rest of the school. Not to mention the sheer amount of girls chasing the damn thing while proclaiming who they wanted the kiss to be from, although the number of times the Lynx's name, along with Lelouch's and Rai's, had been mentioned in such conversations was troubling, and that was an understatement, a pretty big one.

All had ended well though, which was good. And it had helped bring Suzaku closer to the students, since the incident had ended up in him saving Lelouch's life from almost certain death when they had both chased the cat up to the roof of a tower and the black haired teen had tripped and fallen. Suzaku had reacted fast enough to grab his childhood friend's hand and saving him while the cat finally loosened the mask with its paws and Hawk went to retrieve it, hiding it somewhere else and handing it over to Lelouch once it was all over.

"I still can't believe I was almost found out because of a damn cat." Lelouch muttered tiredly as he put the mask back in place in the special suitcase he had for his costume.

"Tell me again why you let it go?" Hawk asked C.C. who was, unsurprisingly, eating pizza while sitting on Lelouch's bed with only a white shirt and underwear on.

"I simply hadn't noticed." The green haired immortal replied monotonously as she took bite after bite. "You can hardly blame me for it."

The Lynx sighed for about the fiftieth time already, the girl's behavior was confusing for him. Lelouch closed his suitcase and secured its locks before leaving it by his bed, exhaling once he had done so in relief. Hawk sighed again and shook his head, he didn't have the time for this, and it was solved and over, no need to wallow on it. Besides, Kallen was waiting for him outside, ready to take another simulation on the Sky Ruler. He had simply told her Lelouch had wanted to talk to him since he was technically the Vice-President's aid in the council so he shouldn't take much longer.

"I'll be going then." The mercenary stated, and Lelouch nodded in reply. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." The black haired teen replied in a tired voice, the day had taken its toll on him. "Also, I'm working on getting a new base for us and we'll have it ready soon, although you'll have to keep storing your friend until we get something bigger."

"Understood." Hawk replied curtly and walked away from the room. Once he reached the outside, he approached Kallen. "Sorry for making you wait."

"No problem." She replied in her school voice, as the Lynx had taken to call it. "Shall we get going?"

"Of course." He replied, smiling slightly, and they set off.

They got to the Lynx's house in almost no time and soon went down to the basement. Kallen's eyes widened, the machine had been disassembled all over the place. The legs and arms were separated and on the floor, with several plates off and revealing circuitry, junctions and cables, along with the cannons and other weapons. The torso and head were still attached together and the cockpit opened at the Lynx's command.

"What…?"

"I just got a bit busy these past nights." The Lynx told her dismissively. "I've been trying to replicate the mobility Knightmare Frame limbs possess in the Sky Ruler's own, and although I can't make it as good without building everything from scratch, I've made some good progress."

"And I can still use the simulator with the unit in this state?" She asked, pointing at the torso standing in front of her.

"Without a problem." He replied with a smile. "By the way, you'll be using a unit more inclined towards speed and close quarters combat this time, I think it suits someone with your reflexes better."

"I have to admit, I do feel more comfortable at a close distance from the enemy." She mused aloud as she walked towards the cockpit. "I have a feeling I can react better if I'm up close."

"I assumed as much the other day. Don't worry, I'll get you something easier this time." He smiled as he reached the computer and she pouted in mock annoyance before sitting inside and closing the cockpit. "SKAI, load Simulator Battle: NEXT completion test."

Hawk got into his mechanic clothes while the simple exercise so that Kallen would grow accustomed to the Saber's weaponry took place. By the time he was dressed, Kallen had already blazed through the MTs and Normals and was facing off against Serene's NEXT simulation. Like last time, the redhead did not seem to be using the flight capabilities of her unit in the fight, which was putting her at a bit of a disadvantage against the A.I. of the test. That was soon mended when she quick-boosted forward and unleashed a burst of the back-mounted Slug Guns on the enemy NEXT's back before finally finishing it off with the high power laser blade on the right arm, plunging it into her enemy's torso.

"Hah! I got that one easy." She said as she opened the cockpit, finding the Lynx working on one of the Sky Ruler's arms while looking at the computer screen depicting her fight. "How'd I do?"

"Quite well, although I'm not sure about why you don't take advantage of the flying." He replied as he worked.

"Because even if your NEXT can fly, I am going to pilot a Knightmare Frame and that doesn't fly."

"Good point." He conceded with a small smile. "How did you like the Saber?"

"It does suit me better." She admitted happily. "So, what do you have for me now?"

"Something a little bit harder." He told her with a bigger smile, not looking away from his work. "SKAI, load Simulation Arena. I think a fitting opponent to start with would be Killdozer."

The simulated battle was harder than Kallen had expected, the NEXT she faced was a tough nut to crack and ne punch from it meant it was over, plus it had some nasty missiles she had a lot of trouble dodging. But after getting used to how her opponent moved, the battle turned out far easier. She spent a lot of time facing off against Collared's lowest ranks, managing to win on her first try every time but not without difficulty.

"Time to turn things up a notch." Hawk mused as he closed up the arm he had finished working on and Kallen peeked out of the Sky Ruler's cockpit with a confident smile on her face. "SKAI, change the next enemy to RedRum."

_"Understood."_

"That doesn't sound so dangerous." Kallen muttered to herself as the cockpit closed again and Hawk chuckled.

"Say it backwards and you'll change your opinion." RedRum was one of the fastest NEXTs Strayed had faced. Its Lynx, Shamia Lavie-Lavie, had customized it to be a fast reaction, close quarters unit that could take down almost anything due to the speed superiority it had over every other NEXT with the exception of White Glint. It had been one of Strayed's and Merrygate's toughest battles when they had taken her and her partner, Starka, down in that mission on the foggy region of PA-51.

As Hawk had expected, RedRum gave Kallen major trouble, the redhead could barely follow RedRum's moves at all. Not that it was easy to do it, the only reason Hawk and May had managed to take her down had been that they had goaded her into entering an alley, where her mobility had been reduced considerably, and bombed her to death with all the weapons they had before she managed to get out of the tight spot. Kallen, fighting in a simulated Arena, could not use that trick.

"That damn thing was way too fast." She seethed as she finally exited the cockpit after the fifth try. She had managed to take out two of five enemies that night she spent here and she had now fallen to a single one, it made no sense to her.

"It was a worthy opponent, wasn't it?" The Lynx, who was working on the other arm now, chuckled at her fuming before looking at a watch. "It's getting late so I assume you'll be going."

"Yeah, but before I do I have a question." She said, her voice serious. She had delayed her questions about the NEXT's technology until now, but not any longer.

"As long as I can answer it, I will." He replied in an equally, if not more, serious tone. "But understand that there are things I do not want to talk about." She nodded at his reply, accepting it. "Ask away then."

"Where did you get this tech? I can understand the rifles and even the engine, which does not seem to run out of power, but laser cannons and blades?" She shook her head for emphasis. "Where did you get those from?"

"Abandoned secret research and hacking lab information mainframes." Hawk replied dismissively. He had told Lelouch and all but he wasn't going to go sharing his origins with everyone around him at the first turn of events.

"Why am I not buying something like that?" She told him with a bit of glare. "Tell me the truth."

"I do not go prying into your life, now do I?" He whispered, sending a glare her way in reply. "Accept my answer or don't, but you will not get a different one anytime soon."

Kallen would have continued pressing for an answer had his tone not been so decisive, revealing nothing she could do would make him change his opinion. Did that mean he didn't trust her? She soon discarded it as stupid, if he didn't trust her at all, she wouldn't be here, nor would she still be keeping her hidden knife on her person. Last time she had handed it over herself, as a show of faith, but this time none of them had said anything about it.

"I'm sorry, I suppose it's not something you want to go into detail about." She bowed a bit in apology and the Lynx's features softened until he was more or less back to how she was used to seeing him.

"Don't worry about it." He replied, scratching the back of his head, the situation was rather awkward. "I may tell you about it in the future, but I'd like you to drop the subject for now."

"Consider it dropped, don't worry." She assured him before stretching. "Well, I should get going."

The Lynx nodded and stood, accompanying her to the door and seeing her off before going back to his work on the Sky Ruler's left arm. Imitating the build that allowed the Knightmare Frames such mobility in their limbs had been impossible, as he had already explained, but modification based on that wasn't too hard to do, only time costly. The mercenary sighed, he wasn't getting any sleep today either. He had finished the legs and one arm already, might as well have the last arm done and assemble the NEXT just in case anything happened.

While the Lynx was working, another teenager was refusing to sleep. That teenager was Lelouch. The exiled Prince was, once again, going through Strayed's mission records as he took note of the tactics displayed by his ally. While the Lynx was not one for elaborate planning, his ideas were original and effective despite being literally made up on the spot. On his bed, C.C. was watching as well, like one would a movie, as she kept eating pizza after pizza.

"I still don't understand why you keep watching that over and over." She mused as she finished the last slice and laid down on her belly. "Don't you have it memorized by now?"

"Every time I watch it I learn something new." The black haired teen explained as he observed the battle against two NEXTs, named Scarlet Fox and Emerald Raccoon, who had ambushed Strayed and his third NEXT, the Will Force, as he finished a mission, catching him low on ammunition. "Like right now." He added as Strayed dodged their double assault at the last possible moment and shot one of them in the back with the Laser Cannons of the Will Force. "He fooled them into approaching recklessly and caught them off guard. Analyzing his tactics, the ones employed by a war veteran, even if he appears to be my age, is a great way to improve my own strategies."

"You're taking this very seriously, aren't you?" She smiled as she stretched felinely. "Like the way you have analyzed your power."

"I already told you, I need to know all I can about my weapons." He replied without looking away from the screen. "And Strayed is about as powerful an asset as Geass from what I have seen. I am starting to believe he would truly be perfectly capable of just marching his way to Pendragon and blow the Emperor the kingdom come if he saw no other choice and his machine was fully functional."

"He's a strange one." She commented monotonously as the video finished and Lelouch put on the news through the computer. "It seems your sister has been busy as of late."

"Indeed she has." The exiled Prince commented, knowing she was not referring to Nunnally but Cornelia, who had already crushed three Resistance bases in her short time as Viceroy, staging attack after attack with machine like precision. It was just luck and Hawk's hacking that had hidden the base of his affiliated Resistance cell, but he already had a change of headquarters in mind for them, which would be ready soon. "And I have a feeling Zero will soon be a target of her work."

C.C. did not reply, she simply narrowed her eyes almost unperceptively. She recognized that look in Lelouch's eyes, the look of brimming overconfidence in oneself that could lead to his demise, and mentally sighed. Her contractor _was_ a seventeen year old teenager, it was bound to happen eventually. Yawning, she resolved to stop him should he put himself in too much risk, she couldn't have him dying before her wish was fulfilled.

* * *

Morning came, and Hawk woke in his room to the sound of his phone. He had fallen asleep about three hours prior when he had finished assembling the Sky Ruler so he reached out for the device groggily and put it to his ear, receiving the call with a couple incoherent mumbles.

"Looks like someone had a rough night." Lelouch's voice chuckled from the other end of the line. "Are you close to a TV? I need you to put on the Britannian news."

The Lynx grunted an agreement and stood up, stretching a bit before turning his television on and putting the news channel. The reporter was explaining in no shy terms when, how and where the next operation to destroy the Resistance cells directed by Princess Cornelia would take place. The Saitama Ghetto, where the group called the Yamato Alliance had its base. Rumor had it they had hired a few European mercenaries, but no one outside their organization was really sure whether it was true or not.

"So we're going to bail them out?" The mercenary asked as the report came to an end. "It doesn't take a genius to know that it's one big, neon-highlighted trap."

"But after such a kind invitation, would you really turn them down?" The amusement and confidence in Lelouch's voice was apparent.

"I hope you're not charging in first and thinking later on this." The Lynx yawned as he made a mental note to warn Kallen that he would be absent today and to send some sort of excuse to the faculty as well.

"Don't worry, I already have a few plans laid out." The teen assured, and although it eased Hawk's worries a bit, he still wasn't sure about it. Although he would participate regardless.

"Well then, I'll go get the Sky Ruler ready. Contact me when you want me to deploy and tell me where exactly you want me to be." He replied and hung up, sent the message to Kallen and called Ashford and told them he was sick before making his way to the basement to get into his pilot suit and helmet.

Lelouch hung up the call and picked up his bag, which contained the Britannian soldier uniform he had used in Shinjuku. His plan was rather simple, steal a Sutherland, then supply the Saitama resistance with Knightmares and direct them like he did in Shinjuku. He was about to walk towards his room's door only to stop at the cocking of a gun and fin C.C. aiming one at him.

"What are you doing?" He asked in mild surprise.

"Stopping you from charging to your death." She replied in a monotonous, matter-of-factly voice. "And before you start rambling about contradictions I will shoot you in the leg to stop you from moving." She paused as he processed the information before adding. "I can't have you dying without the contract being fulfilled so you will not be going to the Ghetto."

"I understand." He smirked as he reached inside his Ashford Academy uniform and pulled out a gun of his own. C.C. seemed unimpressed by that, knowing that she was immortal was definitely putting her at ease in front of a weapon, but her expression turned to one of shock when Lelouch pointed the gun to his head.

"What are you doing?" The amount of shock in her voice and face were the most distinctive reaction he had ever seen out of her.

"Until you gave me this power I was but a husk, an empty shell wandering the world of living." The raven haired teen replied with a void smile. "If I am to go back to that sort of life, I'd rather let it all go."

"Very well." She sighed, bringing down her arm in defeat.

"So as I suspected, you are unable to use Geass yourself." Lelouch chuckled as she winced at the revelation before he walked past her and exited the room, heading towards his intended destination.

"Arrogant brat." C.C. muttered before turning Lelouch's computer on and hoping he could get hold of Strayed and warn him about the boy's state.

* * *

A few hours later, inside the Yamato Alliance base, the group was running restlessly all over the place with the exception of the leader, aptly named Yamato, and another five people. These people were members of the mercenary group known as Glory Star, a famous mercenary cell in Europe, although they were the last surviving members due to the rest of them and their headquarters falling under Britannian attack a couple weeks ago while fighting for the European Union and protecting Spain.

The leader of the mercenary group was a girl in her late teens named Setsuko Ohara, daughter of a Japanese woman and an exiled Britannian who fled to Europe to avoid death penalty, she had brown hair and kind green eyes and was really adept at fighting from a distance, her aim nearly flawless. Two of the men standing behind her were her teammates, Toby and Denzel, a laidback blond and a tough looking bald man respectively, their job on the missions was usually covering their leader and fighting in the frontline while she picked the targets from a distance.

Behind those two was the married couple of Rand Travis and Mele Peter, Glory Star's mechanics and sometimes frontline fighters if things got out of hand, Rand could be pretty destructive that way. Rand was a tall, muscly man with crimson hair that turned to orange at the ends and blue eyes while Mele was a small, and flat, young woman with pink hair and green eyes.

"It seems we're running out of time." The leader of the Yamato alliance started, the Britannian forces had started their attack a few moments ago and the screams and tank shells could be heard all over the place. "No matter what, we have to protect the civilians we can."

"We understand that." Setsuko replied for all of them. "They may only be Glasgows we took from Britannia, but you can count on our units for the job."

"I thank you, Miss Ohara." The leader bowed in gratitude as Shinn Asuka dashed into the room, panting slightly. The black haired, red eyed boy was dressed in jean trousers, a black shirt and a white jacket over it. "Did you get everyone nearby to safety, Shinn?"

"I got them to the shelter like you told me to." He replied as he caught his breath. "What else can I do to help?"

"I'll tell you when we need to move more civilians, just make sure not to do anything dangerous." He told him, but the look on Shinn's eyes got his attention. "Is there anything you want to say?"

"I can help with the fighting." The boy stated fiercely with a look of burning hatred in his eyes. "I am a member of the Yamato Alliance as well, I can help in kicking out the Brits."

The whole group was shocked at the bold statement, Yamato most of all as images of his late son, Kira, overlapped with the black haired boy. Setsuko set her green eyes on the seventeen year-old's red ones, seeing the determination held deep within them and with her sixth sense telling her he would be a good addition to the battlefield if he had any other good qualities. The boy noticed her stare and sent her questioning look just as Toby brought out his gun fast and shot at the kid to the astonishment of many.

"Give him the weapon, he'll do fine." The blond man stated with a grin, the kid had dodged the unexpected shot better than most trained mercenaries would have, he had reflexes and talent it would seem, at least wherever dodging was concerned.

"Toby…" Denzel started in a chastising tone and the blond brought his hands up in surrender out of instinct.

"Boss, I have big news!" A member of the alliance interrupted whatever he was going to say, bringing out his communicator and setting it on to receive one simple message.

"I am… Zero." The voice from the device told them, and they all recognized it as the man's own. "I have sent Strayed to help you in repelling the Britannian forces. Like I told those in Shinjuku, if you want to live and win, follow my orders."

"What do we do?" One of the men asked his boss, who looked at the Glory Stars for advice.

"We have all seen what he's capable of. This man is our best choice available, I say we take his offer." The girl replied, and her whole team nodded in agreement, they were all fully aware of what he had done. "But I do not speak for your group, this is merely my opinion."

"We'll take your help, Zero." Yamato told the masked man through his communicator.

"Good answer." Lelouch replied from the cockpit of his recently acquired Sutherland. He had disguised himself as a soldier and patiently waited until a unit had asked what he was doing. He fed the pilot a nice lie and Geassed him into handing over his Frame the moment he came out of it. "Strayed will be clearing the west side of enemies, he does not require any assistance apart from a rescue team for any civilians still in the area. See that he gets that."

"Understood." The boss replied and pointed at a few people present, Shinn included, however the boy was soon stopped from leaving by both Toby and Denzel and Setsuko sent an apologetic look towards Yamato. It would seem her teammates had taken a liking to the kid.

"Now then, there are rumors about a mercenary group in your ranks, are they true?" Lelouch continued over the line.

"That would be us, the Glory Stars." Setsuko replied loud enough for the communicator to catch it. "What do you want us to do?"

"So you're the leader, huh?" The black haired teen pondered, knowing from the voice that this woman couldn't be much older than himself, or Strayed at most. "I want you guys to handle the east side, how many units do you have available?"

"Five Glasgows, but only four pilots." Setsuko replied before adding with a bit of nervousness and sending a pointed look towards Rand. "One of them is a two-seater due to… modifications."

"I understand." Zero replied, only for the mercenaries to think he did not really get what sort of modifications Rand had made to his unit and that the masked man was in for a surprise. "Can you find a pilot for that spare unit?"

"I can do it!" Shinn told them with a serious look in his eyes. "I have done it a few times before, although it was in that simulator we stole from Britannia." The whole group looked at a pile of rubble by the side, the first seconds of the attack had resulted in part of the ceiling falling and the simulator in question being crushed under it.

"If no one else wants to volunteer, I'm going to ask you to take that unit." Lelouch said, he didn't really care about who the one had talked was as long as he was useful, and the rest of the Yamato alliance wanted nothing more than to be as far from the cockpit of any of Rand's designs as they could. "I'll take your silence as just that. Please help the Glory Stars in taking care of the east side of the Ghetto. The rest of you will wait for my delivery of a few Sutherlands I have gotten hold of at the central area of the Ghetto. I'll contact you in ten minutes, get into position at this location."

"I'm going in then." Strayed said over the ORCA line. "Just make sure you do this right."

"What's with the sudden doubts?"

"I don't know, call it a bad feeling or an instinct but I just can't help but feel something is going to go terribly wrong today." The Lynx stated with a shrug as he got out of the subway tunnels and right in the middle of a Britannian squad.

"The black and white Frame has been sighted." One of the officers in the command center informed. "It just took down the third squad to the west, Sir Arnold's Gloucester included."

"So the Black Titan makes its appearance to the west." Cornelia muttered with a scowl at one of her special units being taken down so fast. "Zero won't be far behind in showing himself, or rather his tactics. Send a notice to the ASEEC, have them ready their units and send them to the west side of the Ghetto to ambush the enemy on point A-17. I do not want to take any risks with that thing so the more occupied it is, the better."

Cornelia had been adamant not to use their help too often, but the recordings of the Black Titan she had seen had made her so painfully aware that what that good for nothing soldier had implied about the Lancelot units being the only thing capable of facing it might hold some weight, and a whole squad being taken out five seconds after sighting the damn thing was proof enough in her eyes. She wasn't against admitting she was human and made mistakes in judgment from time to time, even if it was as hard to do so as swallowing broken glass.

"We also have reports of a group of five Glasgows fighting their way through our troops on the east side, they have already taken out Sir Stark's platoon, all of it."

"We can only assume those are the European mercenaries from the rumors." Darlton stated, looking over the map displaying the battle.

"Send Lady Enneagram and Sir Dowin to deal with them along with two squads of Sutherlands, it should suffice. She'll take care of all operations on the area." The two had been more than happy to accompany her in this little trap she had planned so she was going to have them do something on the sideline while she took care of the main threat. Besides, Nonnette loved fighting Europeans for whatever reason. "Continue the assault on the central area of Ghetto. If we take their core then the rest will fall soon."

Strayed cursed under his breath as he put bullet after bullet into his enemies' units, there were more troops than there had been in Shinjuku, which was the reason Lelouch had assigned him to one third of the place and not its entirety, but the sheer overwhelming numbers had been much more than even he had expected. The Lynx breathed as he finished off the tenth Gloucester of the day and the fortieth unit he had dispatched. He had to admit they were much harder to take down than any Sutherland he had faced off against.

"How is the evacuation process?" He asked the Yamato team that had been sent.

"We got everyone still alive out." The voice of a young girl replied. "You can go all out now, don't worry about the buildings and pound the Brits into the ground."

"I'll take that advice." Strayed chuckled at the enthusiasm, even if he didn't like the fact that a seemingly fourteen year old was going around the battlefield, but he had seen worse anyway. "All of you get out of here. Go help the team by the west."

"Got it." A male adult voice replied this time and he guessed it was the actual leader of the rescue team. "Good luck."

Strayed grunted an affirmative and continued moving through the Ghetto, but there did not seem to be any other units left, which was definitely unnerving for the Lynx. A sudden alarm from the radar got his attention and he quick-boosted out of the way fast enough to avoid the explosive bullet that would have impacted against his NEXT's head had he been slower in reacting. He soon directed the cameras to the source, the silver and blue Lancelot unit he had seen the other day in Shinjuku, armed with a sniper rifle with the same color scheme and what appeared to be another version of its sister unit's swords hanging by the cockpit.

"Suzaku, now!" Rai said over their private ASEEC line and the Honorary Britannian moved out from his hiding spot in a flash of white and gold, MVSs at the ready, and almost slashed off one of the Sky Ruler's legs, only Strayed's reflexes saved him from that one and he got a deep, melting gash to the right hip booster, which fortunately remained functional. "I thought we'd get him, but this guy's as good as they come." The amnesiac whistled in approval.

"Less admiring him and more planning Rai, I don't want him to deploy those cannons on his back, it's not healthy for us." Suzaku commented drily, his focus on the black and white unit in front of him. He was sure that guy named Strayed was the one inside it and he wanted answers from him. All that he had told him after Zero rescued him had seemed to be from experience, he wanted to know what had happened to make someone believe what he had said and the only way was to defeat and capture the man, then ask for answers.

"All we have to do is not let him do that." The Club shot one more time before leaving the VARIS Sniper Rifle on the roof of the building Rai used to get the shot and dove downwards to the ground, landing at the side of the Lancelot and unsheathing his personal MVSs. The blades were shorter than Suzaku's but had a special feature that suited him greatly, they could be combined into a double bladed weapon, and he was doing that now. "Let's outmaneuver him like you did in Shinjuku. Slash Harkens don't work against that thick armor but these do, so we have to get a few cuts in with the MVSs or else we'll manage nothing." He paused before adding. "Our priority is to sneak behind him and cut off those cannons."

Hawk allowed himself a small smirk under the helmet as the two sister units enacted their plan, circling around him and using their superior mobility to try and get him before his unit could move, but his recent modifications, while insufficient to match the freedom of movement the experimental Knightmare Frames possessed, were more than enough to dodge their assaults despite the size difference, although the two came really close to hitting him more often than he would have liked, and the melting slashes that started decorating the Sky Ruler's exterior were not welcome in the least.

"I don't know who is piloting each of those things, but they're Lynx material." He muttered as he dodged a double slash from the Lancelot and quick-boosted out of the way of a stab the Club had at the ready, waiting for him. He couldn't deploy the cannons, it took time he didn't have and chances were they'd be sliced off before he could get a decent shot. "Zero, I got our two little friends from the other day occupied on the west, make sure there's some progress on the other sides while I deal with them as best I can… Hopefully, I'll come back alive."

"Very well, I'm counting on you." Lelouch replied as he refocused his attention on the battle raging on the other sides of the Ghetto. The Glory Stars and their new pilot were doing quite well on their side, he could leave them alone as their leader had seemed quite capable when they had talked. In fact, he'd been sending less and less orders to that particular area and they were still managing to keep up without his aid. "Lieutenant Setsuko, I'm leaving the defense of the east side to you as I must focus entirely on the main block, is that a problem?"

"Not a problem I can't handle." She replied with a bit of confidence which made her longtime companions smile. "Just make sure these people live, they're good men and women."

"How bothersome to have two mercenaries telling me the same thing in their first missions at my side." He chuckled, ending the transmission and puzzling the Glory Stars for a second.

"I am all for assuming that Strayed is a mercenary as well, of the good kind apparently. Unlike those Firebug bastards working for Britannia." Toby commented, the last part in anger, as he defeated an enemy unit, making the pilot eject.

"Watch your back, pal!" Rand shouted as he sent a Sutherland that had managed to sneak up on the blond literally flying into the air with a devastating blow from the giant wrench his orange colored Custom Glasgow carried.

"You can't just go around so recklessly either, Darling!" Mele chastised as their new recruit of sorts kicked a Sutherland away from the pair's back and put a bullet in its Factsphere, leaving the pilot no choice but to abandon the fight. "Especially if the new guy, piloting for real for the first time, is the one that has to save you."

"Good job kid!" Rand shouted enthusiastically, giving Shinn a thumbs up and ignoring the reprimand. "How do you like the unit?"

"It handles incredibly well, almost like a part of my own body." Shinn replied, amazement present in his voice. He could do it, he could protect those he cared about while in the cockpit of this Frame, he finally had the power to do it. The boy then glanced at the radar and glared at what it displayed. "More enemies coming!"

"I see them Shinn, two Gloucesters approaching our location from the north along with a small squad of Sutherlands, ten enemies in total." Setsuko informed over the line using her long rage customized Factsphere to distinguish the units.

"Two for each, huh." Denzel mused in a concentrated tone before he noticed something. "The Sutherlands are approaching and the Gloucesters are standing back, that's strange…"

"They want to test us, so they sent the Sutherlands. They probably believe they're so good they can beat us even if we take out their troops." Toby commented smugly.

"Focus." Setsuko commanded from her sniping position, and her tone made everyone obey. "The Gloucesters are colored different from usual, we have to assume they're commanding officers and capable pilots."

"Any idea who those color schemes belong to?" Shinn asked as he narrowed his eyes at the two units before focusing on the ones actually approaching them. "It's how it usually works, right?"

"No idea. Although red and gold is sort of familiar." Denzel replied for everyone else. "And yes, Shinn, it usually works that way when concerning important pilots of the Empire or any military organization."

"Let's just crush these guys and find out who they are afterwards then!" Rand all but shouted, swinging the giant wrench in a menacing gesture that seemed to catch some of the enemies off guard.

"A wrench! He's tearing our forces apart with a goddamn wrench?!" Asakim was laughing like a madman inside his black and red Gloucester at the fact, it was just too good to pass up. "I like the guy already."

"Asakim…" Nonnette started in a patient voice inside her red and gold one as the wrench wielding unit literally crushed a Sutherland with an overhead attack. "We need to see what they can do, not laugh about it."

"Pardon me, but it's just too…" The black haired man stopped himself. "Wait a minute, I know that unit in the back, the one sniping our Sutherlands. Setsuko Ohara's colors and style, we're facing the remains of the Glory Star mercenaries."

"You know her, huh?" The Knight of Nine was somehow sure she did not want to know why or how. "Then you take her and the other blue ones on, I'll take care of the one with the wrench and the black one fighting alongside it."

"Understood." Asakim grinned evilly as the connection was cut and they both moved their machines forward. "How should I torture you today, my dear Setsuko? We haven't seen each other in years, I have a lot of time to make up for." He whispered in glee before releasing a full evil laugh at the top of his lungs.

* * *

"So the reports are true? There really is an enemy unit wielding a giant wrench?" Guilford was dumbfounded, as was the rest of the staff and the Princess herself, they just couldn't even begin to understand the logic behind such a thing, yet it was certainly proving to be quite effective in its own right.

"These Elevens surely come up with the most bizarre ideas." Darlton commented with a sigh as he eyed the screen. "We have lost another team in the central area, Your Highness. We aren't making any progress at all."

"Then call back our forces except the ones fighting at the sides." She ordered to the astonishment of the few officers that were not used to being under her command.

"But won't that put the ASEEC units and the Knight of Nine in trouble? They'll be all on their own!" One of them said, but Cornelia only smirked.

"Zero will leave them be, his priority target are the royals so he'll let those fights continue unchecked and use his stolen Sutherland to approach this place and try to get close to me, he'll also try to use a few of his stolen Sutherlands as bait to lure our units into ambushes, Guilford, be ready for it." She explained in a confident tone and her tallest knight bowed before marching towards his Gloucester. "He did the same thing against Clovis if what I gathered from the report is correct."

"You had I thought out this far, Your Highness?" The staff officers were amazed and the Princess saw no reason to reply, letting Darlton issue the command to return to base.

"That's it then? No more insistence from you, sister?" Lelouch mocked with a grin, although he knew what was happening. "To think you would be even easier to defeat than Clovis, how the mighty have fallen."

"I see you persist in jumping headfirst into the enemy trap." C.C. muttered in an unamused voice as she observed Lelouch's Sutherland joining the retreating forces. "Very well, I'll do my part."

"All conditions have been cleared, time to enact the plan." Lelouch had all but forgotten about the fights taking place on the sidelines, all he cared about was Cornelia. Once he and the rest of the soldiers had reached the command center, he opened his communication line with the Yamato Alliance. "N-7, turn on your IFF signal, you're the decoy in our ambush." He commanded as Guilford and two more soldiers sped towards the Ghetto in their Gloucesters.

Unlike what Lelouch had expected, the first thing the Gloucesters did when they reached N-7 was skewer him with their lances and then proceed to wipe out the ambush he laid out. He attempted the trick two more times and it always ended the same way. He had lost half his forces in barely five minutes, he was in shock as a realization dawned on him.

_'I was so foolish!'_ He told himself as he ignored the incoming transmissions from the Yamato Alliance, crying for their dead. _'How could I even compare Cornelia to Clovis?! Was this what Hawk meant? Did I let my first victory get to my head?'_ The raven haired teen soon calmed down after taking a few deep breaths. _'I have no way to get out of this on my own, and a direct attack using what remains of the Yamato alliance will fail.'_

"Attention, Yamato Alliance. Retreat from the fight." Lelouch relayed, having made his decision. "Flee into the tunnels and go to these coordinates, you'll find another Resistance cell there, they'll give you a place to stay."

"Why aren't we pushing forward?" Yamato asked in surprise. "We can still fight."

"Because they know my strategy, which is why your men died today. I apologize for your losses, they were all my fault." He was just saying to make them feel better, or was he? He wasn't sure anymore. Perhaps Strayed was rubbing off on him more than he thought. "This location I'm sending you is the hideout of a few comrades of mine, go there and speak to the man named Ohgi, tell him that Zero sent you." Lelouch commanded over the line. "We'll meet again soon, members of the Yamato Alliance."

"But won't the Britannians resume their attack on the Ghetto if we leave?" Another member asked over the line.

"Unlike Clovis, Cornelia has a sense of honor. She has deemed this battle, except the skirmishes happening at the sides, to be over and even if her trap to catch me does not succeed she will not reengage hostilities." Zero explained patiently, knowing his sister would act that same way he had just described.

"Understood." The leader replied with a hint of gratefulness. "We have lost a lot of good men today, and hundreds of civilians, but we would have lost far more had you not been here. It'll be a pleasure to work alongside you in the future, Zero."

"Likewise, Yamato." He replied before cutting off that particular communication line. "Strayed, are you fine?"

"Been better." The Lynx grunted as he moved his unit out of the Lancelot's reach only to run into the Club and barely managing to quick-boost away in time to avoid a slash that would have cut his back-mounted cannons in half. "What about you?"

"The Yamato Alliance is evacuating to Ohgi's hideout." Lelouch explained with a bit of nervousness, he knew he was sitting in the wolf's den unarmed and just waiting to be eaten. "Stop holding back, show them what you can do and get me out of here. Cornelia has predicted my moves and has me trapped among her forces, if you attack and throw them into disarray I can escape using the commotion."

"Got it, Zero." He replied, holstering the rifles much to the surprise of the two Devicers and activating his Laser Blades. They wanted close quarters, he'd give it to them.

He then kicked the boosters to their full power, leaving the scientists watching the battle for the Data gathering and the two Devicers to gape as he shot to the skies and hovered over them, well out of the reach of the Slash Harkens or anything they could throw at him. The Lynx proceeded to deploy the Sirius cannons, taking careful aim on the enemy units and shooting at each with a blast from one of his weapons. The Lancelots moved out of the way, each in one different direction, and found some sort of rockets staring at them in the face as they did.

"Oh, crap." Rai muttered as the Flash Rockets released a burst of blinding light and he felt the kick the Sky Ruler rewarded his unit with sending him backwards onto the ground and then a double slash from the Laser Blades that severed both of his unit's arms.

"You two are incredible opponents." Hawk complimented as he Quick-boosted towards the Lancelot and slashed both arms apart as well before kicking it to the side towards its sister unit. "But, as much as I'd enjoy fighting you for hours on end, I have better things to do right now."

"What?" Suzaku wondered aloud. Why was this guy leaving them to live when he had killed so many others in Shinjuku and here? It made no sense to him, just like everything he had told him the other day.

"Make no mistake." Strayed stated, drawing on the little speech Thermidor had given him when Strayed and the ORCA Leader's alter-ego, Otsdarva, had gotten into a fight after that mission in Shanghai which had ended in a duel that Hawk had lost, he was still a rookie and the Eternal was no match for Stasis in any way, shape or form. "The only reason I'm letting you live is because fighting you was challenging. Besides, you two can make good in this world, or so I believe, I can only hope the path you take will be the one allowing that to happen." He smirked before adding. "We'll meet again."

And with that, the Sky Ruler took to the air, leaving behind two dumbfounded teenagers that were perfectly aware they had been pardoned for a reason they did not quite understand yet. Downcast and exhausted, both of the Devicers felt the adrenalin rush leave them and the feeling of unconsciousness take over.

Strayed sent a short message to C.C., asking her to go through with her plan and get Lelouch out of the mess for him after getting a mental kick through his instinct, telling him there was another place where he should be right now, and a look at the radar told him exactly where it was.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the ASEEC transport, Lloyd was torn between promising swift murder for the damage dealt to his precious units and swearing torture and slow death for creating a flying unit before he had managed to have the Gawain's plans approved by Camelot's head researcher, Aim Liared. There was still a big flaw in his design of the flying Frame and he just couldn't figure out what it was that prevented him to get enough energy to make it work properly.

"It was flying through the sheer power of its boosters…" Cécile was astounded at that. No matter how hard they tried, they had never managed to produce a way to support the theory that claimed that upwards thrust was a possible means of flight for a Knightmare or something even bigger. Or so they thought, since the Black Titan had proven that supposition wrong not even a minute ago.

"Perhaps that is the reason it's so freaking huge." A technician commented, and that made Lloyd's eyes widen in realization. "To have enough of those boosters to actually lift itself and carry the power source that allows it to move."

"Of course, how could I be so stupid?!" The scientist shouted, startling everyone around him. "I'll be in my office, Cécile. Make sure Suzaku and Rai take a rest and the Lancelots are repaired once we retrieve them. I have some finishing touches to add to the Gawain. Lord Liared will not be able to say no today." He added with a short, amused laugh.

Outside the transport, all Sutherlands were standing to attention in front of the Command Center, and Lelouch was close to having a heart attack. Cornelia had left no hole for him to slip through and she had already started to order the soldiers to come out of their units one by one. His turn was approaching and with each second the black haired teen was getting more and more nervous.

_'Dammit Strayed, how long are you going to take to actually get here?_' A certain raven haired teenager thought frantically.

"You, come out of your Knightmare. It's your turn." General Darlton's voice boomed outside Lelouch's Sutherland, snapping him out of his thoughts. He had no one to blame for this but himself because, despite all he had said, he had ended up being impulsive and not thinking things through enough before jumping into the obvious trap.

"There is a problem with my hatch…" He started, making it up as he went and hoping to gain time. "It was damaged in the fight."

"Then turn around, we'll open it for you." Guilford was the one that spoke now, after having confirmed the retreat of the Yamato Alliance he had returned to the Command Center and was helping Darlton out.

_'Damn you Cornelia! And damn you, Hawk, for failing me when I needed you the most!'_ The teen mentally seethed as he started to turn the Frame around, slowly, trying to gain time.

"It's Zero! Zero's over there!" A soldier shouted as he pointed to the top of a nearby building where Zero, in all his masked glory and caped flamboyancy, was standing and looking smug, as if he had won.

Lelouch decided not to ponder on who the hell had taken his suit and mask and saved him, he instead allowed himself a sigh of relief and was one of the first units to move and attempt the 'capture' of the masked terrorist, who theatrically jumped backwards from the building, staging a game of hide and seek between him and the soldiers. The Exiled Prince soon deactivated his IFF and left the Sutherland behind as he entered the sewers he had planned to use for his escape.

"So, we come to a draw then. Haven't we, Zero?" Cornelia mused as she received reports of having lost sight of the target. The Black Titan had also managed to snatch a victory, revealing a surprising ability to actually fly and defeating the two ASEEC units using the surprise and flash grenades before retreating. The Knight of Nine and Asakim were still engaging the enemies in the east, but they had requested no assistance to be sent unless they asked for it, they could handle it, and Cornelia was more than happy to let them. Any reason to stay out of Nonnette's bad side was a good reason in her book.

"It would seem he has slipped away from our troops." Darlton admitted, looking down at the floor.

"It does not matter." The Princess stated with a laugh. "I haven't had a worthy opponent in ages, it's nice to have someone that can outmaneuver me once."

"But he just defeated us, this is an unsightly defeat for Britannia itself!" One of the staff officers shouted.

"And not only that, why aren't we continuing the destruction of the Ghetto now that Zero and his forces have left it unprotected?!"

"I challenged Zero to a duel of sorts, and he came and faced me on my own terms." The Witch of Britannia explained with a glare. "This is my way of showing my recognition of his skill, any further attack on the Ghetto will be considered smearing my name. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Everyone replied in unison.

"All we have to do now is wait for Lady Nonnette and Sir Asakim to come back." Guilford muttered as he stood faithfully by his Princess and eyed the screen displaying the battle on the east side of the Ghetto, being sent by a Sutherland Factsphere they had remotely activated. "I've sent them the order to retreat and a few troops to convince them just in case."

* * *

Rand, Mele and Shinn were in trouble, and most importantly, they knew it. Whoever was piloting the red machine was good and his unit was better than theirs, even with Rand's modifications. The Knight of Nine, on the other hand, was certainly complimenting her opponents for their skill, even if the black one acted like a rookie most of the time, he had good reflexes. And the huge orange one and its wrench were a threat despite how ridiculous it sounded, period.

"No wonder the Glory Stars was such a famous group if they had people as skillful as these in their ranks." Nonnette mused as she dodged the barrage from the black Glasgow's rifle and used a Slash Harken to disarm him. She was still playing around though, mostly.

"Dammit!" Shinn seethed as his only weapon apart from his Harkens was blown away. "Let's see how you like them!" He sent his own Harkens after the Gloucester, but the red unit evaded it without any trouble. "I can't hit it!"

"Get back, kid!" Rand commanded authoritatively, he was the senior officer, so to speak. "Or better yet, get out of here like the rest of the Yamato Alliance, we have the coordinates Zero gave them after all."

"But…" Shinn started.

"No buts, you get the hell out of here or I make you." Rand stated angrily, his Glasgow gripping the giant wrench with both hands. "Now go!"

"Way to pump him up, Darling!" Mele giggled as she got ready for the fight.

Shinn obeyed, leaving the orange Frame behind, and passed by the battle the three blue Glasgows were fighting against the black and red Gloucester. He considered lending a hand and not just running away just as it became a two on one battle due to Toby being impaled by the black lance carried by their enemy.

"Toby!" Setsuko shouted as she fired bullet after bullet at the black Gloucester, but it always seemed to dodge her just fine no matter how much time she took in predicting the moves and aiming. It was almost as if it knew what she would do… "Denzel! Get away!"

"Denzel!" Shinn cried as the other blue Glasgow met the same fate as his companion. He hadn't known them much but they had been good people, they hadn't deserved to die like this.

"Ah, poor Setsuko!" A sick and twisted voice came over a short range open channel, a channel Nonnette and Rand's units, caught up in their battle and far as they were, were not receiving. "She has lost her team once more." A short yet disturbing laugh was heard before the voice added in a mocking tone. "Poor, poor maiden, destined to forever be in tears."

"Asakim Dowin!" Setsuko spat the name in both fear and anger as her face was covered in tears, tears of loss. "Today will be the day I end you! In the name of everyone you've killed!"

"Oh, but I was just there." The voice complained mockingly as he dodged bullet after bullet, closing in on the girl's unit at the same time. "The one that put them against me, the one responsible for their deaths… is you, my dear Setsuko."

"You bastard!" She shouted as she kept trying to hit him, only to find his Gloucester glaring down at her faster than she had expected.

"Time for a nap, my dear maiden." Asakim said in an overly sweet yet terrifying voice as he readied his lance to run her through. "We'll have a long talk when you wake up, like the good old days. I'll hear your screams again after so long, it's almost giving me goose-bumps!"

Shinn couldn't take it any longer and finally moved, slamming his unit against the black Gloucester and making it lose footing and fall. Setsuko could only stare as the black Glasgow stood in front of her, as if to protect her. Inside that thing was only a sixteen year old in his first battle, how could she have let the kid take that place as her protector? She forced herself to be strong and moved her unit to a standing position, ready to keep fighting.

"Setsuko, we have to escape. We can't beat them." Rand reached her over the Glory Stars' channel.

"Oh, it seems Lady Enneagram let a rat get away. Too bad, for the rat in question that is." Asakim voiced over the open channel, referring to Shinn. "I'm a lot more thorough in my disposing of pests than she is."

"Well, good for you!" Strayed's voice reached over the open channel as the massive unit landed and dashed at Asakim's Gloucester, Laser Blades active and soon ripping the Gloucester's favored weapon apart like a hot knife through butter. "Now, let's see what happens when you are dealt with as the pest."

"And the masked hero's slave makes his appearance at the last possible moment." Asakim provoked, drawing the MVS the ASEEC had equipped his Gloucester with at his request. Nonnette had opted for something more inclined to ranged combat but slaughtering his enemies with melee weaponry was Asakim's specialty and hobby. "A pity you were a little late to save anyone... like the guys over there."

The black Gloucester's Slash Harkens flew through the air and hit a nearby building, making one of the floors collapse. The sick man had directed their attention to it and the three of them clearly saw a group of civilians be crushed under the rubble of the shelter he had just destroyed.

"Mom… Dad…" Shinn's voice was broken, there was no other way to describe it as a certain scene replayed in his brain while he watched in horror. "Mayu…"

"You sick bastard!" Strayed growled as he prepared to move in for a fast kill. The guy did not deserve to breathe any longer but SKAI's long range radar soon made him change his opinion as he got the sheer number of enemies approaching, probably due to him being sighted. He could keep fighting, but two of the people with him were right now sitting ducks due to traumatic experiences.

Rand's orange Custom Glasgow soon landed by their side that instant as Asakim gained distance and Nonnette landed by his side, not knowing what the man had been up to. The two groups looked at one another, waiting impatiently to see who would make the first move.

"Get ready to run for it, we cannot win this." Strayed told them over the com. "Cornelia has grown impatient after seeing me here, she's sending all the troops she has. We need to get away, so when I fire the flash rockets, run for the subway and wait for me at the cross between the Shinjuku and Saitama lines. I trust the kid there knows where that is."

"The name's Shinn, Shinn Asuka." The black haired teen replied with a hint of resentment as he hid the pain he was in as best he could through sheer will power, he could cry later. "And I know where that is, I'll lead them there."

"Good, now go!" He ordered as he fired the rockets which detonated in a blinding flash of light that prevented Nonnette and Asakim from reacting to their escape. "I'll be going too." Hawk whispered, seeing the amount of troops coming to get him and deciding it was not the time or the place to face them. He chose to take an alternate route, just in case he was followed. He'd just stop on the way and eliminate anyone foolish enough to do so

Meanwhile, inside the tunnel he was using to escape, Lelouch found himself finally face to mask with the Zero that had saved his life, the exiled Prince glared as C.C. took off the mask and let her green hair flow freely behind her, a knowing smirk displayed on her face and amusement in her eyes.

"You could have done that sooner." He accused, not beating around the bush.

"And let you come out of it without a lesson learned?" She cocked an eyebrow questioningly. "I wanted you to realize that what you did, despite how confident in yourself you were, was as foolish as walking in naked into the lion's den during their lunch time. Even Strayed agreed to my idea when I told him."

"So he was in on this as well." Lelouch laughed dryly. "I nearly had a nervous breakdown because of you two."

"It was for the best, as I'm sure you've learned a good lesson out of it." The girl said mischievously.

"That I have, I'll admit it." Lelouch finally conceded after a full minute of silence, he could rant about unequal footing and whine about his loss, but that did not mean he had not learned anything from it. "No matter how hard I try, I need something that can level the field. Hawk already told me that even when we did not know each other this well." He ran a hand through his hair as if he was berating himself for not truly listening to the mercenary. "I need to fight Britannia on its terms, and to do that I need an army, a people… and a nation." He added with a fire in his eyes that made C.C. giggle.

"I've said in over and over." C.C. smiled coyly as she paced around her contractor. "You're a truly fascinating man, Lelouch Vi Britannia… or rather, Zero." She added, handing over the mask that was becoming so well-known through the media and all over the world. "I do wonder what changes you'll bring to this world."

* * *

On the Britannian Capital of Pendragon, the Emperor was receiving an unusual visitor. While his son Schneizel, the most promising of the bunch, tended to deal with the mundane affairs as Charles called them, whatever Aim Liared brought to his attention was never a waste of time, or anything he wanted his blond descendant to catch wind of without having heard it first himself. The head of the Knightmare research Department known as Camelot, the man behind all the ASEEC special units and experimental Frames and the only person alive capable of rattling Lloyd Asplund with his mere presence.

"Your Majesty, it has been a long time since we last met." The white haired, dichromatic lead scientist was kneeling in front of the man considered the most powerful human on the planet.

"Indeed it has, Lord Liared." Charles replied in his usual, powerful booming voice. "What brings you here, you tend to spend most of your time in your research."

"That is exactly what brings me here." The man set his eyes, one azure and the other purple, on the Emperor's visage. "Or rather, something that has unexpectedly appeared in Camelot."

"Appeared?" The ruler repeated the unusual word with mild surprise. "As if out of thin air?"

"That is the most surprising part." Aim explained with an excited grin on his face. "It happened little over two weeks ago. There was a blinding flash of green light and this… structure, for lack of a better term, appeared out of thin air."

"And you did not report this sooner because…?" A childish voice asked from behind Charles throne before a small boy with long blond hair that he was dragging all over the floor dressed regally walked out from the shadows of said throne.

"I see Lord V.V. is here as well." The kneeling man commented. "My reason was fairly simple, I determined that before making an accurate report, investigating this… thing would be necessary, and so I commanded extreme discretion on the matter by death penalty and led a team to investigate it."

"And what did you find?" Charles asked, now more than mildly curious, but few would notice it in his voice.

"Among other things, computers… which we have had a hard time cracking and only just recently managed to get inside, although we only reached rather limited information as they're all heavily protected through various layers, each more complicated than the previous one to bypass." Aim replied nervously and starting to sweat a bit. "What I say now may be considered an insult to your person due to how ridiculous it sounds, but I, and many others, believe what we have found to be alien in origin."

For five seconds everything stood still and silent inside the throne room, one would have heard even the slightest sound and considered it a deafening explosion in that short period of time. And that explosion would have soon been dwarfed by the Emperor's roaring laughter at what he had just heard.

"Regardless of my skepticism concerning your ideas, Lord Liared." Charles started once he had gotten himself under control. Not many had the guts to simply walk up to the Emperor of Britannia and start uttering nonsense unless said nonsense had a foundation or they were downright suicidal like Lelouch had been that day seven years ago. And he was sure that wherever Aim Liared was concerned, the second option was impossible. "I am inclined to ask what would make you and other members of Camelot think that way."

"There were several files and other information regarding a type of energy we had never heard about and its effects and uses." The scientist explained, sweating slightly but glad he wasn't bleeding on the floor just yet. "Similar, yet different from Sakuradite. And if our initial impressions are anything to go by, incredibly useful for weaponry. We're investigating if we can replicate this energy in any way to advance our projects as we try to get further into the computer systems."

"I see." V.V. smiled, seeing the possibilities. While he was not sure about alien life, and neither was Charles, a new source of energy might help accelerate their plans to gain control over all the Geass Temples and bring about the Ragnarok Connection. Or at least get that part out of the way and focus on chasing C.C. with all their resources for a change. "What do you think, Charles?"

"The answer is simple, Big Brother." The Emperor replied with a hearty chuckle. "Lord Liared will continue his investigations and will keep trying to uncover more information out of that structure as he has called it. If there are any weapons that will hasten our plans stored among all the data, we will use them as well." He then set his eyes upon the head of Camelot. "You will keep this a secret until we have learned more, no one outside of Camelot is to know of this. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Aim replied with a sigh of relief at being able to leave the place alive. "I will inform you if we find something else. Although it will take some time, since I must attend the Sakuradite rights conference taking place in Area 11 this weekend."

"Very well. Now leave us, Lord Liared." Charles commanded, and the white haired scientist obeyed. "What do you think of this?"

"I say we should wait and see where it leads." V.V. replied with a giggle. "It does sound interesting, and Lord Liared is a most interesting person as well."

"I find myself agreeing with you, Brother." The Emperor smiled, keeping up his façade of still trusting the immortal. And he would trust him, had he not lied about the identity of the man that killed his dear Marianne, himself. Still, V.V. would live, at least until Charles was sure he had outlived his usefulness and he could take his Brother's Code for himself.

* * *

And there, chapter's over. Here's hoping you liked it, I had a lot of fun with it. I do believe Cornelia's and Lelouch's actions to be in character here but I hope I'm not the only one who thinks like that.

Next chapter, the Black Knights arrive, but now it's time to reply to your reviews:

**brave kid**: Thanks, glad you liked it. Hope you liked this one as well.

**RoyalTwinFangs**: My plan's to leave the BK outfits as they are, so no. About a better picture, the thing is all I have is a hand-held camera to photograph the screen with and that does have its limits. If there's anyone with a copy of ACFA and a way to screenshot the Sky Ruler at all, please contact me for it.

**Sieben Nightwing**: I tried what you suggested on this chapter, did it help? I also took your advice and changed a bit of last chapter to justify the increase in troops, thanks for the input and here's hoping you liked this one as well.

**N7Warrior93**: Thanks, here's hoping you enjoyed it.

**cj1of4**: Kind of a twist, wasn't it?

The JLF are going to be in for a big surprise when the battle of Narita happens, especially because both sides are still going to gear up further. Also, since it's Britannian Military Rai, he does seem like a Suzaku 2.0, but the differences are going to be apparent soon in the following chapters.

**Criticanon**: Rai's a bit hard to write, I'll admit, but not too much since he's kind of the silent type. I plan for Xing-Ke to show up on R2, so he's going to be around, I assure you.

**Scientific Savior of Earth**: To be fair, it was my assumption that the seventh generation Frames Prototypes and Ace designs such as the Gawain, Lancelot, Gurren, Shen-Hu etc. all use the same system that synchronizes pilot and unit that's present on the Lancelot. I think there are enough similarities between that and the AMS, which is what I believe you are referring to, to guarantee that those capable of handling said machines have that special trait Lynxs possess. This will be further explained in the story.


	8. Chapter 07: The Black Knights

I know it's been a really long time since I posted a chapter but lots of things happened, among them was a month without internet. Still, I'm back and this story is too, so the inofficial hiatus is over and Armored Geass is back on track, with the arrival of the Black Knights no less.

Thanks to everyone that read, followed, favorited and/or reviewed, you guys are awesome.

Also, I'd like to announce that Criticanon has agreed to become this story's Beta-Reader, and he's done a great job about it so far. Last but not least, you'll find the Sky Ruler's schematics at the end of the chapter, one of the reviewers asked for it and I've decided to make it public in case any of you want to use it. If you'd like me to, I'm more than willing to post the schematics of every NEXT in this fic when they've appeared (You'll need to wait until R2 for many of them, though), be warned that all ACs on this story will require you to spend a great deal of points (50 most of the time) on the Load Capacity of the AMS System to be playable and not over-weight.

Now then, review reply time:

**brave kid**: Keeping it up, even after a long absence, or so I hope. Have fun.

**RoyalTwinFangs**: Well, Expies are helpful, for me at least. Enjoy the chapter.

**Sieben Nightwing**: Thanks, let's see what your impression of this one is. Enjoy it.

**Criticanon**: I plan to treat him well. I won't lie, I really like the guy despite how many people keep calling him a whiny brat and all. Using Expies is better for me as well since it's easier to adapt than to create, at least in my case. The ASEEC did find the Answerer's remains, as to what it will lead to, I won't say here ;)

**cj1of4**: Read the chapter to find out about your first question.  
Oh, Lloyd's going to get back at the Sky Ruler, but since he got a divine inspiration of sorts thanks to its flight, he's not going to be too harsh. There certainly is a chance for both of them to get tangled up on what you've suggested, might happen sometime. As for where the KFW (I already like the name!) came from, Rand built it, the guy's that good.

**Guest1 (7/10/13)**: Nope, Primal Armor is still out. I'll try to keep everything to Real Robots, but that doesn't mean Rand, and maybe others, aren't going to do absurd things that yield incredible results, the guy's already going to the battlefield armed with a giant wrench after all. So, while nothing like drills the size of the universe, energy tomahawks that cut through moons and rains of Rocket Fists are going to happen, expect a surprise here and there. Have fun with the chapter.

**Guest2 (7/11/13)**: It'll be a it of both. Knightmare Frames are generally more maneuverable and suited for urban combat than NEXTs thanks to their size, while ACs are superior on an open battlefield thanks to being able to power greater weaponry and not having an operating time limit. The Tristan's feature would have been modified for NEXTs regardless, as it's just too good to pass up. Enjoy the chapter.

**Nero Angelo Sparda**: Well, let's see what you think of these little changes here. I try my best on both the plot and the fights, glad to know I'm more or less succeeding. And you're right, Kallen's going to flip the moment she takes on White Glint, even if it's a simulation.

**Guest3 (Chapter 2 post):** Well, glad you like it and here's hoping you'll like this one as well. As for Kojima theory, I'll get to that some time, but my intention is for it to make sense. Enjoy.

**meganeshounen:** I think I can handle it. Crowe will be arriving on this season, but Firebug is out until R2. Your mech recommendations are appreciated as well as your ideas, while what you've suggested won't be exactly what happens you've given some fine material to work with. Shikoku no Renya happens in the past so it won't be really influential to the story, Nightmare of Nunnally is way too different from the original, the only thing I would really take from there would be the way the Lancelot Albion looks. As for Akito, I'm still considering it. Thanks again, and have fun with the chapter.

**Scientific Savior of Earth**: While the Gunleon will not be making an appearance, sadly, I'm probably going to give you a good reason to use that song as BGM on R2 ;). Enjoy the chapter.

**Siphon 117**: Thanks, here's another chapter for you to enjoy.

**KH-Hardcorefan4483**: I'm really nothing special, but I'm truly happy you think that and hope you'll like this chapter just as much. You'll find the Sky Ruler's schematics at the end of the chapter like I announced. Enjoy (:

**Infinite Freedom**: They'll have their parts to play, I can assure you, and here's hoping you'll enjoy them. Have fun with the chapter.

* * *

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own SRW, neither do I own Code Geass or any of its spin-offs. I also don't own anything related to the Armored Core franchise, unless you count my copy of the Armored Core For Answer game, that I do own. All I own that is shown in this story are Hawk Magnus, the design of his NEXT/s, the K-Filter and the SKAI computer installed in it.

* * *

Chapter 07: The Black Knights have Arrived

Hawk could only be grateful that his basement and house were as big as they were. He had called Ohgi the moment he had reunited with the three remaining members of the Glory Stars and that Shinn kid that used one of their units and had soon been informed that they had run out of room for both people and Knightmares, since the Yamato Alliance had brought all their remaining Sutherlands with them.

Shinn had taken a deep blow in the fight, as had the Glory Star's members. Taking pity on the group, the Lynx had suggested they followed him and brought them to his home, which was spacious enough to accommodate them until he could convince Lelouch to find them somewhere else to stay.

As such, his basement was now holding two modified Glasgows, an orange customized one that was a meter taller than normal, and a two-seater at that, not to mention armed with a freaking giant wrench, and his NEXT. He once more mentally thanked the Ashfords for making everything thrice as big as necessary just because they could before tossing his pilot suit away and walked up the stairs after putting on pants and shoes.

He instantly regretted that choice, as sobs were easily heard coming from the three rooms he had lent his visitors. Setsuko had lost almost all of her third team already, all of them at the hands of the same enemy apparently, that man named Asakim Dowin. Rand had lost his friends and was crying manly tears while Mele sobbed on his chest. Shinn was clutching a pillow and sobbing against it while his grip threatened to split it in half as the scene of his parents' death replayed in his mind.

"I always wondered how it would be to see someone else lose a loved one for once, I wish I hadn't gotten an answer to that." The Lynx muttered to himself sadly as he made walked down the stairs again. Night was close and he had yet to contact Lelouch about what had happened, and the Exiled Prince would most surely be livid about his abandoning him, but before he could walk down the first step, his doorbell rang.

"Who is it?" He asked hesitantly, hoping the student council members had not opted to make a surprise afterschool visit, it would certainly be bad right now.

"It's just me." Kallen replied much to his relief and he opened the door for her. "I was asked by everyone to bring you your homework, although I'm not really sure about why they were smiling like they were."

"Thanks." He took the papers she was handing over before noticing her face reddening slightly. "Is there something wrong?" That seemed to get her back to reality and stop staring at him.

"Ohgi told me just now about what happened in Saitama." She started, and her voice revealed that she was slightly angry at having been kept in the dark about it but that soon vanished. "You did it again, both of you."

"We weren't good enough, again." The mercenary replied with a downcast look.

"Is there someone there?" Setsuko's voice called out from her room before Kallen could ask what he was talking about. "Oh, you have a visitor."

"And you would be?" For some reason, even though she was trying to be polite, she was upset at this girl that had just come out of Hawk's room if her memory served her well. The room she had used the day she stayed.

"She's from the Ghetto, one of the Glory Stars Ohgi probably told you about. There was no room in the hideout so I brought them here. There are three more, two in one room and another in the last one." The Lynx explained without so much as batting an eye.

"I thought you only had two rooms." She said, remembering the night she and Ohgi had slept in the mercenary's house.

"Turns out there was a third one, with a king sized bed, hidden away." Hawk admitted embarrassedly. "The doors resembled a closet's so much I had never noticed until the day I opened them to store some spare tools in there." The two girls giggled at the Lynx's expense. "I blame Milly's Grandfather."

"I'm Kallen Kouzuki." The redhead introduced herself, extending her hand for a handshake and getting a raised eyebrow at her uniform. "I'm half Britannian, from the Stadfelt family, that's why I am… allowed to attend Ashford Academy."

"Setsuko Ohara." The brunette replied in kind as they shook hands, and Kallen could see she had been crying for a while, her eyes were incredibly red. "I'm half Britannian as well, although my father was an exile so I'm not sure if it counts."

"Well, see you tomorrow in school Hawk, you better come this time." The girl said a bit hastily and soon walked towards the door. She had the feeling now was not the time to ask what had happened in Saitama, she'd wait until tomorrow.

"See you tomorrow." The mercenary replied before setting his eyes on Setsuko. "Are you sure you're alright? Today was a bad day, and that's an understatement."

"I'll manage, Strayed." She replied with a sad smile before looking away from him.

"Name's Hawk, Hawk Magnus, please use that while not on a mission or around the Resistance members." The Lynx replied as he eyed the homework he had been given, all of it for the next day, and sighed.

"Understood, Hawk." She replied as her features became serious. "Why did you save us?"

"Because I could, and because I thought my client would like to hire your services as well if the negotiations with the Yamato Alliance do work out." He stated matter-of-factly as he kept eyeing what he had been given. "Why are you asking?" He added, looking at her this time.

"After today, the Yamato Alliance will most probably join Zero. While I know Yamato is trustworthy, I want to know what sort of a leader Zero is before I cast my lot with him." She explained as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I trusted him in Saitama and I do not entirely regret it, but I want to hear more about him from a fellow mercenary before making a final choice. We may only be three now, but the Glory Stars are rather picky about their bosses."

"I see." Hawk nodded absently. He would have told her all she wanted to hear if it wasn't for the fact that he had noticed that. Setsuko was forcing herself and that just wasn't good in her situation, bloodshot eyes were never a good signal. "We'll speak about it tomorrow if you don't mind. You need some rest, you've been through a lot today, don't even try to deny it or say you're fine." He added, blocking all her attempts at refusal before she even attempted them. "And if you think you're fine, go see that Shinn kid over there, he needs as much help as he can get and I'm afraid I'm not good for this sort of situation, I wouldn't be any help."

"I understand." She replied simply before walking to the room Shinn was occupying and knocking on it before letting herself in.

"I can only hope this is for the best." The Lynx told himself as he walked down the stairs and set his homework on the table, ready to work on it. "I truly don't want anyone to share my fate, and that boy has already had the same start."

The boy in question, Shinn Asuka, was in what one could call a depression, although it probably wouldn't be as lasting due to how he shifted from sadness to anger over and over. No one could blame him for it, his entire family had been wiped out because Britannia had wanted it, and there had been no more reason than that they had been different, and then his second Family, the Yamato Alliance, had been massacred, not to mention that two of the first people to ever acknowledge him as useful on the battlefield had been murdered before his eyes. The teenager barely heard the knock on his door and looked truly surprised when Setsuko Ohara opened it and let herself in.

"Are you alright?" She started, only to stop herself. "What a foolish question, right? Of course you are not, none of us are."

"I just wanted to protect them, that's why I asked for that weapon, that's why I jumped at the chance of piloting your Knightmare Frame." The black haired teen sobbed angrily as Setsuko sat on the bed by his side. "And now, even after all the enemies I defeated, after all the effort I put into it, they still died because of Britannia... And because of that Asakim Dowin bastard." His voice broke at the name of the pilot of the black Gloucester.

"The world isn't a fair place." She commented sadly, small tears forming in her eyes. "I've seen that over and over."

"I know it hasn't been easy for you either, especially with what happened." Shinn muttered as he looked at the girl's face. "I'm sorry to trouble you with my problems, after all you have been through today."

The two looked at each other in the eye, both their faces soaked in tears. The powerful Lieutenant of the Glory Star team looked so weak now, so weak that Shinn suddenly felt a need to protect her. He wasn't sure about how or why, but it's what he was feeling. Was he taking pity on her? Projecting his dead sister on top of her? He could only hope that wasn't it, Setsuko did not deserve that, neither did any girl.

"I'm sorry, looks like this was not a good idea after all." Setsuko said, standing up and wiping away her tears. "I came to try and cheer you up and it looks like I'm the one that needs help."

"If I can do anything, please tell me." The boy said out of reflex. "I mean, if it hadn't been for you letting me help, I'd probably be dead… Since I would have been on one of the retrieval teams as well." He looked down at the end of the statement, the sadness returning.

"What will you do now, Shinn?" She asked him, sitting back down by his side.

"I want to make Britannia pay for what they did. I want to find that guy who killed my friends and make him suffer." The boy seethed in anger. "And I want to punch that Asakim guy to death, or until he's nothing but a bloody pulp, whatever comes first."

"Tomorrow morning, Strayed… I mean Hawk, will tell us what he can about Zero, I am considering joining this man, and I am sure Rand and Mele will do so as well if I do." Setsuko explained in a tired voice. "If you want to, you can come with us."

"I'll think about it. Thanks." The boy replied with a small, tired smile as the girl ran a hand gently, almost soothingly, through his hair. It was as if all the tiredness of the day caught up to him at once and he just couldn't stay awake. His eyelids closed slowly and he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

"Kid's been through a lot in his first battle, and lost a lot, good call coming to talk to him." Rand said from the doorway in the closest thing he had to a whisper. "If you hadn't, he probably would have snapped and done something dangerous."

"Are you sure you're okay, Setsuko?" Mele asked, appearing from behind her husband. "You look pretty beat."

"I'll be fine." She told them with a small smile. Somehow, talking to Shinn had helped her a great deal. "I suggest we rest until tomorrow, Hawk will tell us about Zero then."

"Is it safe to leave our units in his basement?" Mele wondered aloud.

"The same could be said about our presence here. He's trusted us and brought us to his home, I think we can trust him too." Setsuko countered as she walked towards the door, but stumbled and would have hit the floor hard had Rand not caught her. "Looks like I'm far more tired than I thought I was." She whispered as her eyelids closed on their own.

"You've been through a lot today as well, Setsuko." Rand muttered as he picked her up and put her to her bed. "Rest, you need it."

"We should get some rest as well." Mele yawned but Rand had heard something and he wanted to make sure what it was. "Is something the matter, Darling?"

"Not at all. Get going to bed, I'll join you soon." The crimson haired man told her as he made his way down the stairs and she complied. "What are you up to?"

"Resupplying." The Lynx replied simply as he finished loading the last flash rocket into the Flicker weapon on the shoulders of his NEXT. "And now that it's over, going to get some sleep." He yawned.

"I see." Rand sighed, feeling a bit bad with himself. He had assumed Strayed was tinkering with their units while they weren't looking. "I apologize, I thought…"

"Nothing to worry about, Rand. Can I call you Rand?" The man nodded in reply to the Lynx's question. "I'm a stranger, even if I saved your lives. I understand having a few issues about leaving your units in my basement, where I am, coincidentally, sleeping today of all places."

"True story." Rand chuckled as he eyed the teen's unit with his expert eye.

"By the way, I know it's pretty late but can I ask you something?"

"Sure, fire way." The mechanic laughed.

"Why is your unit equipped with a giant wrench?" The disbelief in the Lynx's voice was thick like brick.

"I'm a mechanic, even on the battlefield." He replied simply with a shrug, it wasn't the first time he had been asked that question. "Now, will you answer a question as well?" Hawk nodded in reply. "Why is your machine so freaking huge?"

"To house the engine that powers all the systems and weapons." The other mercenary explained in the same tone he had used.

"That makes sense… I guess." Rand muttered, not taking his eyes off the Sky Ruler until he determined he was just too sleepy to analyze it correctly. "Well, see you tomorrow, Strayed… or Hawk as Setsuko called you."

"That's my real name, Hawk Magnus." He replied with a dismissive wave of his hand as he walked towards his resting place for the night. "Have a good night."

"You too." Rand smiled genuinely as the Lynx yawned again as he approached the couch he was going to sleep on. "We really lucked out on our rescuer." He muttered to himself as he entered the room, finding Mele already asleep and smiling at that.

Meanwhile, in Lelouch's room, the exiled Prince finished the last details of a request through the phone and hung up. He had Geassed the man a few days back, when he had provided Hawk with ammunition, into granting his requests. He had made it plural so as to be able to use the command repeated times, he had come up with it after realizing that his orders lasted for quite a long time, and possibly forever. His request this once was fairly simple, a new headquarters for his little organization, he had nearly double the men and over a dozen Frames to hide and maintain now. Ohgi's place was simply not equipped to handle all that, so they'd lend it to the Yamato Alliance while they used the new ones.

Then there was Hawk's last message, he had secured the Glory Star team after breaking off the fight with the two new Frames. Well, the remains actually, but it was enough nonetheless. The three surviving mercenaries and the teenager aiding them were for now residing with him, although he had asked for a place for them to stay but asking too many favors from his little slave in such a short amount of time would call unwanted attention so he needed the Lynx to give them a roof for the time being.

"Are you done?" C.C. asked him from the bed.

"I am." The black haired teen sighed tiredly. The day had taken a toll on him. "In three days at 1900 hours the Black Knights will see their new base of operations."

"So that's the name you chose." She chuckled humorlessly. "Fitting, I suppose."

"Of course it is." He replied with a smile. "The ones to correct the world's mistakes have always been knights, and black ones in particular could not care less about the method employed." He gave a short laugh. "I believe it fits me perfectly." Her reply came in the form of a wider smile.

* * *

Kallen was walking towards the classroom, it had been two days already since the battle of Saitama, a battle that was on everyone's mouths since the most extended rumor claimed that Zero had a flying Knightmare Frame on his side. The redhead sighed, no one except those inside the Resistance cell, which had been recently joined with the Yamato Alliance, knew about the fact that Zero was not the one that owned the Sky Ruler, that it was someone else. The military knew too, or at least suspected it.

The girl could only hope her friend would be fine. Not that she needed to worry, since he was no pushover, and also he was no longer alone in that house. Zero had apparently been unable to get a place to stay for his visitors from the other day so they were still living with him. She had spoken to them all and they seemed to be good people, although she could tell that both Setsuko and that Shinn boy had gone through something really bad recently. Speaking of which, the Lynx had seemed a bit different lately, as if worried about something that she did not know. The girl was so into her thoughts that she almost did not notice the three girls trying to talk to her until they practically yelled her name to her ear.

"Whew, about time you heard us Kallen." Milly Ashford huffed as if offended, standing in front of both Nina and Shirley who were smiling apologetically, but the mischievousness in her eyes revealed that she wasn't in the least. "What? Were you thinking about a certain heir of a noble family?"

"I wasn't thinking about Hawk!" She replied stuttering and flushing slightly

"Funny, I never gave any names." The blond student giggled at her reaction, which was to blush deep red. She still wasn't sure what she felt about the guy. He was comfortable to be with, funny at times, reminded her a bit of her brother and had taken an interest in her, or rather her abilities as a pilot. They considered each other a friend too, but she wasn't sure about anything else. "Oh, relax, we won't tell anyone that didn't hear you screaming in the middle of the hallway."

"I so want to die right now." She growled without anyone hearing her, letting her mask drop for about a second before finally recomposing herself. "W-What did you want, Madam President?"

"We wanted to invite you to come with us this Friday." Shirley explained before Milly made a mess of the situation any further. "We're going to Lake Kawaguchi to have some fun and we thought you'd like to join us."

"Grandfather said you could use some time under the sun." Milly added mirthfully while Nina nodded shyly.

"I-I'd love to, but I…" She stammered as she tried to come up with a reasonable excuse.

"No buts, President's orders. Besides, we called your mother and she said that there'd be no problem." The blond ruler of the council stated, cutting any further reply Kallen could come up with like Strayed and his NEXT through a Britannian defensive line. "We're leaving tomorrow after class and we'll be spending the whole weekend, so pack accordingly."

"Who else is coming?" The redhead sighed in defeat. Trying to deny a request from Milly when she claimed it to be an order tended to bring… unpleasant consequences... and blackmail.

"Lelouch won't leave Nunnally alone, so he's staying." Milly started with a thoughtful look. "And there's no way in hell I'm letting Rivalz come along." The rest of the girls looked away at the last bit and laughed nervously at how bluntly it was made, although they weren't truly surprised. "Which leaves us with Hawk, Rai and Suzaku, all of them really good looking if you ask me. Better snatch the one you want fast or someone will take him."

As the president made her rather scandalous statement, Shirley couldn't help but remember what had happened the other day. Lelouch had been absent due to an unknown reason and she had somehow gotten into a fight with Kallen about it because she suspected the redhead to be going after him, Milly had corrected her soon afterwards and pointed out that the one that seemingly had Kallen's attention was Hawk. Regardless of that bit, the situation had ended when Suzaku had entered the Council room and Kallen had exited it.

Then, as distressed as she was, Shirley had told Suzaku about her crush on Lelouch. The Honorary Britannian, after listening intently, had suggested he asked Lelouch on her behalf, discreetly of course, and proceeded to make the dreadful phone call. In a show of pure nervousness, she had snatched said phone away and they had begun trying to get it back from one another until they tripped and fell in a rather… embarrassing position. It was the first time she had seen a boy so close up and although the embarrassment had faded the moment Arthur, the cat, had bitten Suzaku's hand for whatever reason, she just couldn't get it out of her head.

"I'll go tell Suzaku then." The orangette said out loud.

"Alright then, Nina and I will take care of finding Rai." Milly smiled in reply and then set her eyes, full of mischief, on Kallen. "Kallen, can you ask Hawk for us?"

"Ah… Sure."

"Very well then." Milly beamed, looking ready to hug her. "We'll meet on the school grounds in an hour and see which one can come."

"And if they can't?" Nina asked in a low voice.

"Then it'll be only us girls." The President replied matter-of-factly. "And we'll be able to talk all we want about the boys we like and how to snatch them for ourselves."

_'Why do I have a feeling that this trip just won't end well?'_ Kallen thought to herself as she nodded and walked away, looking for the Lynx posing as a student. It took her around a quarter of an hour to find the brown haired teen. "There you are, Hawk."

"Kallen." The mercenary greeted her from the bench he was sitting while working on a laptop. "Is there something you wanted?"

"I'm here on behalf of Milly." The redhead explained. "She's planning a little trip to Lake Kawaguchi on the weekend and wanted to know if you wanted to go as well."

"I'd love to but I can't just leave those four in the house, besides, you know I have a job to do that day." The Lynx replied with an apologetic smile. "Tell them I'm really sorry." She nodded in reply. "Are you going on that trip?"

"Yeah. I know we had an appointment with him but my stepmother… I mean, Miss Stadfelt already said yes to Milly so I kind of don't have any choice on the matter." She told him, looking a bit down.

"Don't worry about it and have some fun." He replied with a smile. "We can take care of things on our own from time to time."

"Yeah, I'm sure you can." She smiled back at him, a bit relieved somehow. "Well, then. I'll go find the others and see what we'll do."

"See you." Hawk replied as she walked away. _'I wish I could go, but I need to introduce Setsuko and the others to Zero face to face, and tomorrow's the appointed day.'_

The group of girls met soon after, all of them having finished earlier than expected and soon shared the information. The conclusion was rather simple. None of the boys were available, all of them had to go to work. Even Rivalz, although Milly soon waved that away in dismissal.

"Then it's decided!" The Student Council President cheered. "All-girls weekend, here we go!" The girls in question merely laughed nervously at her antics.

Hawk got home late that day, and was soon greeted by both Shinn and Setsuko, who were in the living room. The two seemed to have recovered from the experiences in Saitama thanks to one another and bonded quite nicely, almost like a fraternal bond. The Lynx greeted them back as he left his bag by the door.

"Rand's down in the basement again?" Hawk asked as he looked around for the married couple of mechanics.

"He came back a while ago and said he was going to paint Shinn's Glasgow." Setsuko explained. "Tomorrow's the day, isn't it?"

"Yeah, tomorrow you meet Zero." The other mercenary replied. "Have you finally decided what you'll be doing, Shinn?"

"I'll keep fighting for now." The black haired boy replied with a grim but determined look on his face. "Until I've settled my debts."

"I won't tell you something like vengeance is meaningless and all that…" The Lynx started, locking eyes with the red eyed boy, who was for a moment replaced by an image of himself when he was younger and lost his family and almost everyone he cared about at the time. "But I have kind of taken a liking to you, so I'll make sure you come out of this alive and are capable to pay those debts." He then sighed. "Meet me in the basement in about an hour, that's all it should take for what I have been making."

And with that, he left the two there and walked down the stairs and standing face to face with the now blue and grey colored Glasgow and a proud looking Rand and Mele, who smiled at him when they noticed his presence.

"What do you think?" Rand motioned enthusiastically at his work. "Fits better than all that black, doesn't it?"

"Agreed." The Lynx smiled at them both. "Can you install this in your Frames' computer?" He asked, throwing a small USB drive at Mele.

"What's this?" The small pink haired woman looked at the device curiously.

"You'll know in an hour. Please install it." Hawk replied with an enigmatic smile. "And don't worry, it's perfectly compatible with the system you're using."

"Ah, well." Rand sighed, dropping the defensive glare he had been sending at the Lynx. "If you wanted to do something bad to our units, you could have done it already and without informing us." He shrugged as he snatched the USB from Mele and entered their Custom Glasgow followed by the now pouting girl. "I'll get it done."

"I still want to know what it is…" Mele pouted and looked at the brown haired boy in pleading.

"Just a gift from a mercenary to another." The Lynx explained dismissively, although he smiled at her. "As I said, you'll find out in an hour."

* * *

Lelouch was, in the meantime, finishing the details of the meeting with both Ohgi and Yamato. Once he had taken care of everything, the black haired teen let out an exhausted sigh. Leading a group was tiring and he needed even more people if he wanted his plans for Britannia's destruction to become reality. To create a world where Nunnally could be happy, he had to raise an army. Easy to say, yet hard to accomplish.

"No matter how hard I try, we're still too small to accomplish anything. I need a means to gather followers." He mused out loud, deep in thought. "Simply going around and looking for people is just too troublesome, not to mention ineffective, so I need another way. A way to gather attention and announce the recruitment to the world."

"And going out on TV is out of the question, right?" C.C. asked him in her usual monotone. Although she had been showing more emotions with each passing day. "Admit it, you need help in preparing this stage."

"And how am I going to do that?" Lelouch asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'll think about this tomorrow, after the meeting with the Glory Stars and once everyone has settled down in the new headquarters."

"Come to think of it, aren't some of your friends going on a trip tomorrow?" C.C. asked as she stretched on the bed.

"Yeah, Kallen is going too so she won't be there with us tomorrow."

* * *

Kallen had to admit that it wasn't as bad as it could have been. So far, she was having a pretty fun time with Milly and the others, and they had recently been joined by that pink haired girl she and Hawk had met along with Suzaku in the Ghetto the day the Honorary Britannian and Rai had kicked Tamaki and a couple guys from the resistance around.

"I hadn't expected to find an acquaintance of yours here, Kallen. But the more the merrier." Milly said as they talked.

"I agree wholeheartedly." Euphy smiled kindly at them all. "Ah, I forgot. This is my guardian, Nonnette."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." The green haired woman gave a small bow, like a servant or a bodyguard would, before she and her charge took a seat by the group of girls. "You're Millicenta Ashford, of the Ashford family, right?"

"It seems I have been discovered." The blond girl sighed dejectedly. "And you would be?"

"Just a curious woman." She replied with a smile. "Like you."

"Well, now that that's settled…" Milly started after returning the smile. "And since we're still all-girls, let's start talking about the boys we like in school." While the rest of the girls blushed heavily at Milly's imminent interrogation, the disguised Knight of Nine allowed herself to enjoy the moment. She hadn't expected this development in the least, but this trip was going to be fun after all if Euphimia's face was anything to go by.

A couple hours and a few xenophobic incidents later, because of Nina's inherent fear of Elevens, Lake Kawaguchi was finally in sight. The pristine waters welcoming the group of girls as they looked out the window. They all gathered their bags and set towards the hotel, which turned out to be the same for both groups. Not even five minutes had passed since they crossed the doors that it happened.

It started with one soldier and then more and more of them. JLF soldiers, dressed in their usual greyish green military uniforms and armed with different weapons ranging from rifles to machineguns and even one bazooka.

"Alright, those hands up in the air. Now!" A bearded man carrying a Japanese Katana shouted. "Each and every one of you, Britannian dogs and bitches alike, are hostages now. Behave quietly and no harm will come to you, show any sign of hostility and you'll be swiftly dealt with."

_'Dammit, what a bad timing.'_ Nonnette cursed in her mind as she did as told, knowing that this many enemies were too much for her to get Euphimia to safety unharmed. _'They must have come here for the conference on Sakuradite rights and uses, and now we're trapped along with the representatives.'_

* * *

Lelouch, in his Zero guise, sat comfortably on one of the purple couches inside the massive, two story truck he had acquired, waiting patiently for the core members of the Resistance and the Yamato Alliance to appear. He didn't have to wait too long, since, as if on cue, there were a series of knocks on the door. Recognizing the password he had given, he unlocked it remotely.

"So we're joining you after all, you think we're good enough for that?" Ohgi asked the moment everyone was inside, admiring their new headquarters.

"Of course, we're comrades now." The masked man replied in a solemn tone.

"Not to be rude to my host, but how did you come across this?" Yamato asked as Tamaki was gaping all over the truck, taking in every detail.

"I have a few likeminded noblemen I can call upon." Zero explained dismissively, although everyone noticed a hint of amusement in his voice. "One of them offered it, no strings attached."

"Wait! He just up and gave it to you?!" Tamaki was dumbfounded at that, and the rest of the people in there weren't far behind.

"Now then, I know Ohgi does approve of joining me." Zero started, standing up to his full height. "What does the Yamato Alliance have to say on the matter?"

"We will never be able to repay you for what you did in Saitama." Yamato bowed politely, showing his gratitude and respect towards Zero. "The Yamato Alliance has decided that if you want us to fight alongside you, we'll join you unconditionally."

"I'm grateful for that." Zero walked towards them, letting the cape cover his purple suit and extending a hand at the two leaders. They both shook it in order, sealing their alliance. "Once Strayed brings the Glory Stars, we'll…" The news from the TV cut the masked man off, one of the Resistance's members had turned it on.

"The hoteljackers have identified themselves as the Japan Liberation Front terrorist group." The newswoman explained. "They invaded the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel not even half an hour ago and took all the representatives and several tourists hostage." The image soon changed to that of a dark storage room just as the door opened in the truck, but no one paid attention to Hawk's arrival, nor at the people accompanying him. "This footage was taken by the perpetrators. In it we can see Chairman James and the lead Scientist of Camelot, Lord Aim Liared, as well as a few of the students that got caught up in the mess."

The image did show the aforementioned men alright, but to some of the people in the truck, those guys took a back seat when they spotted rather familiar faces. The students in the footage were none other than Shirley, Milly, Nina and Kallen. The pink haired girl that Hawk had met in the Ghetto a few days ago was also there.

_'Euphy?'_ Lelouch wondered in his mind, shocked to see his half-sister among the hostages. _'They must have mistaken her for a commoner, but there's no doubt about it. It's her. They've also got Kallen, and from what Hawk has told me, she's someone I cannot allow myself to lose yet.'_

"I apologize for interrupting." Setsuko coughed a bit, gaining Zero's attention. "It would seem there is something troubling you."

"I have a few issues with this hostages they've taken." Zero stated simply, not letting his distress be shown. "As well as the motives I suspect they have."

"Anyone care to tell me what we're going to do about Kallen?" Hawk asked, interrupting the conversation. A deep frown on his face as he glared at the screen so hard that many expected it to explode from the intensity of the glare.

"All we can do is wait until Britannia accepts the JLF's conditions." Ohgi sighed, worried. "They're the largest resistance group in existence, they wouldn't listen to us even if we tried to talk to them."

"It seems there is a development!" The newswoman got their attention back to the TV. "They're dragging a man onto the roof… they're…" The poor woman could not continue as the man in question was pushed over the edge of the building and fell down to his doom.

"Barbaric." Lelouch seethed under his breath, few noticed it but Setsuko and Rand took careful note of that action. "Where are you going, Strayed?"

"It should be obvious, right?" The lynx asked back from the door, his tone cold.

"Be sure to announce our arrival when you're done, we'll be going there shortly." Lelouch replied, knowing exactly what the mercenary was about to do and being fully aware that stopping him was impossible.

"Since our demands have been ignored, we'll keep throwing a hostage down from the roof every fifteen minutes until negotiations are established in good faith." Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe, leader of the group that took over the hotel, stated in a brief communicate to the Britannian forces.

"I thought we were the good guys…" Shinn muttered to no one in particular, glaring at the screen. "This… I just can't believe we Japanese are falling so low."

"Ohgi, Yamato. Do me a favor and start handing what's in those boxes to everyone." Zero commanded casually and the two leaders nodded. "Lieutenant Setsuko Ohara, would you please accompany me upstairs?"

"Our contract can wait until this situation is solved." She stated with a look of determination. "Consider it a test to see if you are as good as Strayed says."

"Very well." The masked man chuckled in reply. "Then, I trust you'll be joining in this operation?"

"We will." Rand replied for her.

"By the way, where exactly did Hawk go?" Mele asked curiously.

"He's got a bit of a hero complex, I'm afraid." Zero explained, looking at her. "He's probably on the way to Kawaguchi now, pushing the Sky Ruler to the limit."

"Just yesterday he was almost jumping happily about having brought some Over-Whatever back online." Rand mused with a hand on his chin. "Any idea what that is?"

"A means to get to Kawaguchi fast enough to actually make a difference." Zero replied cryptically, although he was smirking under the helmet. With the Over-Boost back online, Hawk might be able to make it in time to stop the next hostage to be thrown. "If you have any questions about Strayed's NEXT and the technology related to it I suggest asking him." He added, predicting Rand's next question just as the man opened his mouth. "Although you should gain his trust first."

"Is this what you wanted us to distribute, Zero?" Yamato asked as he and Ohgi came back with the boxes in question.

"I'll admit it looks cool, but we're just a resistance group so…" Ohgi added but was stopped by the masked man's raised hand.

"Wrong." The word, once more, caught everyone's attention. "We're not a resistance group, Ohgi. That is not what we are in the least." Zero looked around at the gaping faces surrounding him and cupped his hand, posing for impact as he answered the silent question. "What we are… no, what we'll strive to be, are Knights for Justice." He then added in a commanding tone. "Now gear up, we have work to do."

* * *

_'This is bad.'_ Kallen thought to herself as she considered her situation. _'I can't just up and tell these guys I'm from a resistance cell, not in front of them.'_ She glanced at the terrified Nina, who seemed close to having a nervous breakdown. _'And time is almost up for the next hostage to be thrown. I can't believe the JLF would resort to that sort of thing!'_

"An Eleven…" Nina squeaked in fear when one of the JLF soldiers came too close for comfort, and all hell broke loose.

"We're not Elevens, we're Japanese!" The soldier in question shouted, pointing his gun at the black haired girl.

"Looks like she needs a little reeducation." Another added with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Alright, we'll take care of it, now leave her alone!" Milly embraced her friend protectively and Shirley managed to gather enough courage to glare at the two Japanese soldiers. Kallen did the same thing, despite her intention to keep appearances.

"It seems all of you are in need of that." A third soldier chuckled. "Take them away, we have a lesson to teach."

"Stop at once!" A female voice commanded with authority. "I, Euphimia Li Britannia, will not tolerate this behavior."

"Your Highness!" Nonnette seethed, although deep down she approved of her actions she knew this would cause more trouble than it was worth.

"So we have a Princess among the hostages, that changes things, doesn't it?" One of the three soldiers muttered as they focused their attention on her. "Lock her separately, I'm sure Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe will like a word with her soon."

The other two soldiers carried Euphimia away. The pink haired Princess spared a glance at the four teenager she had befriended today, a sad one. She was genuinely surprised when Kallen muttered a thank you her way and managed to smile a bit. She continued walking, but with the dignity of a Princess apparent in each of her steps.

"That doesn't mean you are exempt from punishment." The remaining guard said as two more JLF soldiers came in, the ones in charge of picking who to throw out of the roof. The guard whispered something in their ear and the four Ashford Academy students shivered at the sinister grins in the faces of the three men.

"You, the redhead." One of them pointed. "You're our lucky winner."

"What?!" Kallen managed to get out as she was seized and dragged out of the room despite the cries to stop from her friends.

She tried, many times once she was far enough from the room where the hostages were held, to convince the soldiers that she was one of Zero's men, but to no avail. She was either ignored or simply told to shut up. It didn't take them too long to reach the roof and she was soon standing by the edge, hands tied up and just a push away from falling to her death.

"This can't be happening." She muttered in fear. "Naoto, Zero, Hawk… I'm sorry." And she was kicked in the back. In the blur of memories that followed, Kallen would recall spotting something in the distance as she fell, something black and white that approached at amazing speeds far surpassing anything she had ever seen in movement, before fainting.

She woke up somewhere cold and hard. Confused, she looked around and below, finding Lake Kawaguchi and the Hotel easily and soon identifying the place where she had landed as a giant black hand. More specifically, the Sky Ruler's hand.

"So this are the JLF's methods?!" The Lynx's voice boomed in the night through the unit's speaker and the anger in it was almost palpable. "Pathetic."

"No way…" Kusakabe was gaping at the imposing figure of the Sky Ruler, hovering in the night sky and with the moon behind it. With the Twin Sirius Cannons deployed and aimed at the room he was in. "So that's… the Black Titan the Britannians fear so much."

"Zero will come soon, he wants a meeting with you, Kusakabe." Strayed stated coldly. "For your sake, there better be no more deaths or you won't be alive to meet him. I'll personally make sure of that."

"He's threatening us?!" Kusakabe spat in disbelief, although seeing the cannons aimed at him and starting to glow bluish white seemed to convince him that listening to this guy was probably his best choice. "Fine, give me that." He pointed at a megaphone that was soon delivered to him. "Alright, accepted! We'll wait to see what Zero has to say!"

"It wasn't a request." The NEXT Pilot replied as he disengaged the Cannons and turned around, setting a course towards the coast, right where the two Lancelot units were.

"My, my." Lloyd squealed as he saw the machine approaching. "Pretty honorable for a terrorist, isn't he?"

"Should we prepare to fight?" Suzaku asked in worry as the black and white unit approached more and more.

"If he wanted to fight he'd go somewhere else, he's hailing us through our own private channel too." Rai muttered from his unit as he used the Club's camera's to zoom in on the Sky Ruler. "Suzaku, get inside the Lancelot now! Lloyd, you hide too."

"Why?" Both of them asked at the same time, one worried, the other simply bothered.

"Because he's carrying Kallen Stadfelt on his hands, you don't want our covers blown, right?" The silver haired teen replied. "We'd never hear the end of it from anyone."

"Point taken." Lloyd sighed dejectedly while Suzaku ran towards his Frame. "Cecile, better make use of the opportunity and take a few pictures or sneak in a tracer or two… I forgot we don't have any of those." He gave a silly smile before running for cover.

"This is Strayed, the Sky Ruler's pilot." The voice said over the channel just as Lloyd disappeared from sight. "I'm just leaving a rescued hostage in your care, I won't stay more than necessary."

The Sky Ruler landed soon after, kneeling and letting Kallen jump out of it hands. As precaution, the two ASEEC units had pointed their weapons at him, the VARIS Rifle and Sniper Rifle were ready to fire if Strayed tried anything. The Black Titan soon stood up once the girl had gotten far enough.

"So that's how it looks up close." Lloyd mused aloud from his hiding spot. "Awe-inspiring indeed, but as I thought, Rakshata had nothing to do with it. It's not her style or her design."

"Are you alright?!" Cecile ran towards the red haired girl the Sky Ruler had left in their care once the massive machine had taken flight again.

"I am, thank you." The girl replied weakly before jumping the gun. "When can I leave?"

"We'll arrange for transportation immediately, unless you live nearby and want to walk." A technician said as he ran for a phone. "Although her Highness Cornelia might want a word with you before you go."

"As a matter of fact, I do want a word with her." The lavender haired Princess in question said as she appeared, followed by her two trustworthy knights. Kallen's brain nearly collapsed at being in front of the Witch of Britannia. "I do not like to beat around the bush, young lady, so tell me: Has my sister been discovered?"

"She has." Kallen replied weakly, and not because she was faking, but because the woman inspired fear in her. "It was our fault, she did it to help us." She explained the situation to the current Viceroy and could see how she paled as she did. "I apologize, Your Highness. We…"

"Euphimia has always been reckless like that." Cornelia cut her off. She did not need to waste time on this girl, the ones she had to punish were the JLF bastards holding her sister, not a poor bystander that got caught up in the mess. "You can leave, miss…"

"Stadfelt." She replied out of reflex. "Kallen Stadfelt."

"Ah, yes." Cornelia recognized the name. "Your parents will be glad to know you're safe. Can you get home on your own?" She nodded in reply. "Then leave, I have matters to attend to."

Kallen needn't be told twice, she just turned around and left. Hawk had sent her a place to go on her phone before they landed so that's where she'd go meet him and the rest of the resistance, who had just received a new name from their mysterious boss. The Black Knights.

"Why did I have to go through that?" She asked the mercenary once she reached the place. Hawk hadn't even bothered to get into his pilot suit and helmet, he had merely jumped into the Sky Ruler's cockpit and engaged the Sky Ruler's Over Boost to reach Kawaguchi in a record time, going at roughly 1500 Km/h was a great way to cut distances after all.

"Because I can't just go and kidnap you from kidnappers." The Lynx replied simply. "There's a bit of a process for that, and if I had taken you with me, you could have been monitored and interrogated once the Military found out who you were."

"Alright, you have a point." She replied as a news van came up to them. "What's the situation?"

"The JLF has several linear cannons holding the only way in apart from the main entrance." Zero explained from the top of the van as it came to a halt. "They modified a few captured Glasgows into that sort of weapon."

"Blame me, I was the one that gave them the idea when I got into an argument with that Rakshata woman in a little get together the Yamato Alliance had with the JLF." Rand grumbled as he came out of the van, barely fitting inside his Black Knight uniform. "Change into that and come in, missy." He ordered, throwing a uniform at Kallen who glared at him. "Don't look at me like that and go change where no one can see you."

"That aside." Zero coughed, getting back his spotlight as Kallen hid from sight, her face flushed. "Cornelia will let us in once I have talked to her. Although there's always a chance she'll use us as a distraction to send the two experimental Frames Strayed _should_ have destroyed in Saitama to face the cannons and open a way for them." Despite Lelouch's face being hidden by the helmet, Hawk could clearly feel the exiled Prince's glare. He hadn't really liked that he had let the Lancelots go with just minor damage after revealing the Sky Ruler's ability to fly, it wasn't a good trade. "If it comes to that, the Sky Ruler will support that assault, our plan and theirs need those weapons to go down regardless."

"Understood, Zero." Strayed replied simply as Kallen came out of the bushes clad in Black Knight uniform.

"The rest of us will proceed as planned." The masked man continued after acknowledging the Lynx's reply. "Kallen, have Ohgi fill you in on what you need to do."

"Got it." She got into the front of the van, alongside both Ohgi and Yamato.

"We're the Black Knights." Zero started, and Strayed easily recognized where his boss had gotten the inspiration for what he was about to say as he hopped into his NEXT's cockpit. "The ones that will stand in judgment of the world. And this is our Grand Entrance, let's put on a show, Gentlemen."

Despite their leader's words, several of them didn't have as much faith on what they were doing, and Setsuko noticed it in their nervous whispers. She, on the other hand, had to admit that their plan, while risky, had a good chance of working out just fine. The brown haired girl glanced at Shinn, who was standing by her side with a focused look in his eyes. The boy seemed to notice, because he locked eyes with her and they shared a brief moment of silent understanding.

"We'll be fine." The boy said out loud. "It's not like this is Zero's craziest plan that works out."

"Kid's right." Tamaki admitted, changing opinion for the fifth time in ten minutes, but everyone was used to that already. "And even if something does go wrong, I'll do something about it."

"The day you have to solve our problems will be day we all die." Rand stated simply as he reclined against one of the van's walls. "But still, Shinn's right. We've seen him do some really crazy stuff that turned out for the best."

"Says the guy that goes into battle with a giant wrench." Tamaki grumbled, getting bumped in the head by Mele for it.

"Don't mock My Darling." She seethed in a menacing tone that scared Tamaki to no end.

"Stop right there, Zero!" Cornelia's voice was heard outside. She was inside her Gloucester and flanked by her men, all of them inside their units.

"Let us pass, Cornelia." Zero replied as the Princess came out of her cockpit to face him. "We have an appointment with Kusakabe."

"And let you join him?!" She asked in a half-mocking, half-angry tone. "Besides, this is where I take revenge for Clovis."

"Which one would you choose?" The masked man asked, unfazed by her pointing a shotgun at him almost in front of his face. A bit closer and he could smell the gunpowder in the weapon. "Clovis, who's mere remains and has already been buried. Or Euphimia, who is alive and trapped in that building?"

"You…" She seethed angrily. "Are you threatening me, Zero?"

"On the contrary." He replied, a hint of amusement in his voice as he pointed his finger at her. "It's within my power to save your sister. Let me pass, and I give you my word that she will be delivered to you along with all of the hostages, alive and unharmed." Seeing that Cornelia was still doubting he added. "Consider it a thank you for leaving the Saitama Ghetto untouched once our little duel was over the other day."

"Very well." She relented at that. He was right, she had behaved honorably and he was seemingly repaying the favor. Of course, he was playing it so it would serve him as well but that was far more than what the usual terrorist leader would do. "All forces, let Zero pass!"

"I thank you, Viceroy." Zero said as he passed by her side. "Strayed will be helping with your strategy in the tunnels. Please, avoid shooting him in the back, his anger is something even I fear to face."

Cornelia's face was shocked at how this man had read her intentions like an open book and planned accordingly. Still, collaborating with him seemed like the best choice. She wouldn't be condoning terrorism but competing, they'd be racing to see which plan would come to fruition first, hers or Zero's. And that was something she could allow herself to do, even if it churned her stomach.

"As much as I hate to admit it, we need all the help we can get." She grumbled as she made up her mind. One or two of those Linear cannons would have been no trouble for the ASEEC units, but there were seven of those things down there according to the data, and the tunnel was longer than they had expected it to be. "Send word to the ASEEC to prepare the Lancelots for the operation. Also, inform them that the Black Titan will be aiding in the assault!"

"What?!" Guilford was aghast at her orders. "But, Your Highness…!"

"Guilford, I know what I am doing." She cut him off. "Don't think of this as cooperation, it's a race between us and Zero, to see whose plan is realized first."

"Understood." Darlton replied before relaying the orders to the ASEEC post.

"Once that pillar is down, we'll move in to rescue the civilians. If you find any of Zero's men, shoot them as well." Cornelia commanded. "Sir Asakim, you're in charge of sweeping the upper floor of terrorists, Guilford will take the lower floors and rescue the hostages."

"Gladly." The black haired man replied from his Sutherland. _'I know you're with Zero now, Setsuko. Whether I take you back today or not is of no consequence. We'll meet again and again, until you're back in my hands. You cannot escape me.'_

* * *

"Thank you for such a lovely order!" Lloyd squealed happily as he closed the communication line. "Alright boys, get ready to rumble."

"What?" Cecile asked in surprise. "What did they say?"

"The Lancelot units are to enter the tunnel and deal with the linear cannons." The white haired scientist explained with a feline smile. "Apparently, we'll…"

"Be supported by me." Strayed's voice finished from the Private Channel of the ASEEC. "No hard feelings, I hope."

"Apart from breaking my machines, not much." Lloyd told the helmeted man in his screen, who seemed to flinch when he saw him. "Although I must thank you too, you have given me the solution to a problem I've been having for a while, so I suppose we're even."

"I don't know whether to be happy or sad about that." Strayed replied, glad that he had taken the time to put on his suit and helmet before going in. Lloyd being a military scientist was something he hadn't expected. _'Next thing you'll tell me is that Rai and Suzaku pilot those things.'_ He joked in his mind. _'They're in the engineering corps as apprentices, so I doubt it. Maybe I should ask Lloyd about Knightmare mechanics discreetly, say it's for a project. I'm sure he can point me in a better direction than Rand.'  
_

"Do you know the plan?" Lloyd asked, taking him back to the matter at hand.

"We're entering the supply tunnel through the opening by your side." The Lynx replied in monotone. "We have to slice through the enemy and blow up the main pillar. From that point onwards, yours and my boss' plan differ." He paused for a moment before adding. "I also know we're little more than decoys wherever Princess Cornelia's plan is concerned."

"Well then, shall we begin?" The enthusiastic scientist suggested as he made quick modifications so that Suzaku and Rai could only send sound through their communications at the Sky Ruler, that way he avoided them being recognized and possibly assassinated in the future. If that pilot was concealing his identity, his pilots would too.

"Suzaku, we both have questions for him but save them until we're done with this." Rai said through the close range private channel to avoid being heard by Strayed. Their units were side to side so reaching the Lancelot wasn't hard.

"Understood." The Honorary Britannian replied, gripping the Lancelot's controls to calm himself. Shirley and the others were in there, they were hostages, and he had to rescue them. Questioning Strayed could wait.

"Calm down, partner." Rai told him, trying to lift his spirits. "I'm worried too, you know. Euphy's in there as well."

"Yeah, we have to save her too." The pink haired Princess had been extremely kind to both him and Rai, they owed her their lives and Rai probably considered her a really close friend, seeing that the two spent a lot of time together whenever she visited the ASEEC when she had free time.

The Lancelot and then the Club were dropped into the hole, landing softly and getting ready to speed towards the first enemy, which was roughly eight hundred meters ahead. The Sky Ruler lowered itself through its boosters and landed behind them, like a menacing big brother protecting his siblings.

"Mind if I take command of the operation?" The mercenary asked over the line. "I've dealt with situations like this already."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Rai asked out of curiosity.

"I'll take care of the first one. You two use the explosion as cover and dash for the second one." Strayed instructed as he weighed the situation. "Once that's over I'll take front and act as distraction."

"The Blaze Luminous can take those blasts, they're similar to a Chaos Mine and we already stopped that." Suzaku replied.

"I know, but my Cannons can take them out in one shot and I barely need time to aim. The other three will be one for each and then that pillar goes to whoever fires first." Strayed countered, shutting Suzaku up. "Deal?"

"I have no better strategy." Rai admitted with a sigh as Suzaku grunted in agreement. "We'll go with yours."

"Mission Start. All units, launch!" Cecile ordered.

"Reminds me of Kasumi." Hawk mused as they all did as told and started moving forward.

The first of the massive Raikou Linear Cannons the JLF had installed through the tunnel was surprised by a flash of white in the distance and soon vaporized by it before the people inside even noticed what was going on. The people in the second one panicked and activated the long range radars and scopes, detecting the two blurs in movement that approached their position. One silver and blue, the other white and gold.

"Another attack!" One of them reported to his companions. "They got through unit one before we detected them!"

"Charging Electromagnetic Shrapnel Cannon." The man in charge of unit two stated as he locked onto the two closing in Frames. "Those are no Sutherlands or Gloucesters, but no matter. The Raikou will take care of them. FIRE!"

Both Lancelot Units activated their Blaze Luminous, and withstood the assault with relative ease, not slowing down for even a second in their charge towards the Linear Cannon in their way. Rai took aim with the Sniper Rifle and fired a second later, the round entering the cannon and making the Shrapnel bomb charged inside it explode, taking the second Raikou with it in a burst of fire.

"Nice aim." Strayed whistled in admiration as he sped past them, Over Boost active and Sirius Cannons deployed. By the time the third and fourth Raikou units, standing side by side, had seen him coming, they were nothing but smoking wrecks engulfed in the Hi-Laser vortex of the Sky Ruler's twin blast. "And three to go."

_'What was that speed?'_ Suzaku wondered as they caught up to the massive machine, who had stopped in place to wait for them. '_It's always moved fast but this was over five times the usual speed it shows.'_

_'Another thing that defies all reason that the Sky Ruler seems to possess.'_ Rai thought to himself. As they moved forward towards the last weapons _'Where did he come from? Why is he siding with Zero? How did Strayed come by that technology that is years ahead of Britannia's own?'_

* * *

"Those guys are completely ignoring the whole decoy business and going for the kill!" Lloyd shouted in glee as the explosions were heard, and felt, outside.

"I hate you, Lloyd!" Cécile shouted back at him as they took cover from the rubble falling around due to the shockwaves.

Meanwhile, Zero had been led by the JLF soldiers towards the room Kusakabe was using. The Lieutenant Colonel had all but forgotten about Euphimia being found among the hostages after the Sky Ruler's and the Zero's appearance, although he had recently remembered and asked that she was brought to him immediately. He'd deal with her after he had met, and judged, Zero.

"So you're the infamous masked man that killed Clovis." Kusakabe smirked as the man in question stood in front of him and his men. His cape surrounding his body as if he was some sort of vampire and the Lieutenant Colonel's face reflecting on his mask. "You're… squishier than rumors say."

"Everything tends to be exaggerated wherever rumors are concerned." Zero replied dismissively. "You yourself are far shorter than I had heard."

"Why you…" Kusakabe stood up, failing to stand taller than the man in front of him and sitting back down to avoid the embarrassment. "Speaking of rumors, there's one that interests me greatly about you that I'd like confirmed."

"As long as you answer a couple questions of mine first." The masked man stated in reply.

"Fair enough." Kusakabe allowed himself to smirk. "What are those questions?"

"The first one is rather simple. Would you join me?"

"The JLF, the Pride of the Japanese people, join you after you just popped out of nowhere?!" Kusakabe laughed at the mere thought of it. "No way in hell. Especially when dealing with a man that does not trust us with his face." He glared at the mask. "Take that out, it's disrespectful."

"Once you have answered my second question I'll comply with your requests." Zero replied, not moving a finger as he mentally counted the time. He just needed two more minutes for the rest of the Black Knights to plant the bombs and rescue the hostages. Strayed was making progress if the explosions he had seen take place outside were anything to go by. "What do you seek to accomplish with these actions you have taken?"

"Gaining attention." Kusakabe replied with a grin. "With this act, I'm showing the whole world that the Japanese are not dead and buried yet."

"How pathetic." Zero spat in reply. "You people are so obsolete it hurts my eyes. There's no salvation for you."

"What is that supposed to mean, Zero?" Kusakabe asked, slowly unsheathing his Katana despite still being seated.

"I have brought Princess Euphimia as ordered." A voice said outside, taking their attention for a second.

Kusakabe stood up fast and dashed at Zero after that was heard. There was no need to listen to him anymore and he had disrespected him. They'd discover if he was not Japanese once he had cut that mask in half anyway. What neither he nor any of his subordinates present were expecting was the small squared hole that opened in the mask, revealing a purple eye with a strange looking pupil.

"Die." Lelouch commanded simply, not needing any grandiloquent speeches or commands in this situation, and none of the people in front of him could resist the order.

"What the hell… argh?!" a soldier opened the door and the masked man shot him swiftly, making him drop his weapon.

"Kusakabe and the others committed suicide when they realized the foolishness of their actions." Zero explained, taking a good look at Euphimia. "Now leave, I have something to talk about with Princess Euphimia as well."

"Do as Zero says or there will be consequences." Setsuko commanded from the outside, where she, Rand, Mele and Shinn had their weapons trained on the JLF soldiers.

"Why you bastards." One of the soldiers cursed as he dropped his weapon.

"Zero, we're done." Shinn informed as they tied up the captured soldiers.

"Proceed with phase two, take the JLF soldiers as well." The masked man commanded from the inside. "We have about a minute left, tell Ohgi and Yamato to speed things up. Now go!"

"Understood." Setsuko replied.

"If you guys want to stay alive, better get running towards the basement." Rand told the JLF soldiers, who looked at him skeptically before obeying, even the wounded one was running at a fair speed.

"See you, Zero." Mele shouted cheerfully as they left running as well.

"Now then, Euphimia." The masked man turned his attention towards the girl in front of him. She was putting a strong face but was also afraid. "As usual, you'd sacrifice yourself for other people. That much hasn't changed." He chuckled humorlessly. "I heard you've become sub-viceroy, your Highness. I suppose congratulations are in order."

"It's not a position I'm happy to have." Euphimia replied with a glare. "Because…"

"Because you obtained it due to my killing Clovis." Zero finished for her. "How amusing it was, he begged pathetically for his life with the same tongue that ordered the deaths of thousands of Japanese, many of them innocent and simple bystanders."

"Is that why you killed him?" The pink haired girl's eyes would have vaporized him if looks had that ability. "Did you kill my brother to take revenge for them?"

"Not entirely." The masked man admitted much to her surprise. "While that played a big part in my actions, there was one reason that stands above the others." He paused for effect. "Clovis was an offspring of the Emperor." He then seemed to blink for a moment, as if recalling an important fact. "And I find myself remembering…, that you are as well." He pointed his gun at her but soon lowered it and hid it again. "However, I promised Cornelia that I'd deliver you safe and sound today. And I am a man of my word."

"Zero. Ready when you are." Strayed reached him over their private communication line and Lelouch smirked under the mask.

"Looks like our escape will happen soon." He stated out loud, catching Euphimia by surprise. "Come with me, Your Highness." When she hesitated he added. "No harm will come to you, I promise on my name."

"A fake name." She pointed out, not taking a step forward.

"It'll have to do." Zero countered as he offered his gloved hand.

* * *

Meanwhile, the three machines moved onward towards the JLF's last line of defense and the terrorists were readying the full power of the Raikous to counter them. Even if the three remaining cannons went up in flames, they'd defend the position to their last breath. They were unaware of what was going on in the building or else they would have tried to flee already.

"I take center." Strayed stated as they moved. "You take the sides."

"Got it." Both Lancelot pilots replied, knowing that this was the last enemy they needed to surpass in order to save their friends.

"Fire at once!" The commander of the Raikou platoon ordered. "The three shots together. Our lives are meaningless if we can't put them on the line for our land. Long Live Japan!"

The three Shrapnel bombs flew out of the cannons, which would never fire again due to the internal damage the full energy output caused them. Strayed deployed the Sirius cannons on his NEXT's back and blasted the enemy attack en route just as the Lancelot and the Club activated the VARIS rounds. The three units fired again, this time at once. A shining ball of blue swirling energy, a powerful vortex of white Hi-Laser power and a spiraling red beam soared through the tunnel and impacted on a cannon each.

The combined explosion of the three Raikous blasted a hole on the tunnel's ceiling that they used to shoot out into the night sky and get a clear view of the main pillar holding the hotel in place. Taking aim once more as they switched the weapons to normal and Strayed changed the cannons for the rifles, both Knightmares and the NEXT supporting them fired at once. The rifle rounds from their weapons tearing through the pillar in a matter of six shots.

"The stage is yours, Zero." Strayed muttered as he prepared to move towards the building, more specifically the window Zero was about to jump from along with Euphimia.

"Wait until the explosions are set off." Zero commanded, making him stop. "Use the smoke as cover and deliver Euphimia onto the boats, then we'll take the stage as planned."

"Got it."

"Wait a minute, isn't that…?!" Suzaku and Rai's cameras focused in on the window where Zero was holding the pink haired Princess by the hand just as the masked man pressed the detonator he had in the other.

Multiple explosions surrounded and destroyed the sinking building long before Asakim or any of the Britannian troops made it in. The Sky Ruler flew into the smoke just as every witness, both on the scene or watching from a TV screamed the name of a known person that got caught up in this. Hopelessness invaded the hearts of many as the rubble fell into the lake and the remnants of the once proud standing hotel were seen. No trace of the NEXT that had gone in anywhere.

"They're both fine." Cécile sighed in relief as they saw the two Lancelot units standing in front of the rubble in one piece. Both pilots had jumped forward in an attempt to do something, anything, to help, but to no avail.

"No way…" Suzaku cried inside the cockpit as he repeatedly banged his fist against one of the walls. "I failed again… I failed!"

"Euphimia… Shirley… Milly… Nina…" Rai was in a state of shock as tears ran down his face. "What am I going to tell the others? How am I going to face Princess Cornelia or any of the Student Council members after this?!"

* * *

In the news center established by Diethard Ried, the dirty blond reporter was trying as best he could to get a signal from the news van Zero had stolen from them. They had absolutely no idea how that had happened, not even the people inside the van had known about it until they realized they were not inside their transport.

"The only reason for Zero to have taken that is because he wants to show us something." Diethard told his more than reluctant subordinates. "So keep trying to get that damn signal and stop complaining."

"We've got it." One of them yelled as the image stabilized, showing Zero's mask in all of its glory.

"Dear citizens, relax." He started reassuringly as the image switched between the many boats surrounding the yacht he was on. "None of your loved ones are dead. I, Zero, return each and every one of them unharmed. And I deeply regret the death of the first hostage, I was too late to react." He added with a small bow of repentance.

"Of all the dirty lies you could spew…" Cornelia seethed, although she was inwardly relieved to see Euphimia unharmed in one of the boats the broadcast showed. "If we tried to take you in now, you'd take these people hostage as well to protect yourself!"

"They're all alive, thank goodness." Suzaku cried, but this time of happiness.

"He had it all planned." Rai mused, he was happy to see no one had been harmed, but knowing that Zero had planned everything to this degree was sort of ruining the mood. "Still, I have to thank him for it."

"People! Fear us… or follow us, whichever you prefer!" Zero called out as more figures appeared at his side, all of them dressed in the same black uniform and with their faces concealed by a darkened visor. "We, are the Order of Black Knights."

"A terrorist organization taking the name of knights?" Lloyd smiled at the idea. "Amusing to say the least."

"The Order of Black Knights stands in the name of all those who are powerless, whether they are Japanese or Britannian does not matter." Lelouch continued, getting into his role in the speech he had planned. "The Japan Liberation Front, in a desperate grab for attention, resorted to taking hostages and then mercilessly executed one of them." In the JLF headquarters, Kyoshiro Tohdoh closed his eyes in regret only to snap them open soon after the next sentence. "Such actions were intolerable, which is why I sent my most powerful asset to stop them."

As Zero finished speaking, the Sky Ruler rose menacingly from under the water behind the yacht. The black and white machine hovered protectively over the boat they were using, instilling fear with its mere presence into everyone that merely gazed at it. Although one Aim Liared among the hostages was unable to take his eyes off of it, especially the engine that glowed greenish white as it kept the machine airborne.

"This is the Sky Ruler, piloted by Strayed, my Ace." Zero stated proudly, cupping his hand for emphasis. "Remember him well." Many soldiers gulped at the sight of the NEXT, not wanting to go against it ever in their lives. "Once Strayed announced my arrival, I met with Kusakabe to convince him that this was not the path to take. He refused to listen and he paid the ultimate price for his folly."

"You heard me right, I said let it run." Diethard yelled over the line to another of his subordinates. "I'll take all the responsibility, so do as I say!"

"I dealt with him the same way I dealt with Clovis, who ordered the slaughter of countless Japanese civilians and even Honorary Britannians in Shinjuku." Zero continued as the people hearing him became more and more interested in him. "We could not stand by and let these merciless acts to continue, so we put a stop to them and punished the perpetrators. I will not refuse battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate one sided massacres of the weak by the strong." He paused for effect before adding. "Remember this well, all of you. The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed!"

"Thermidor, he's trumped you in the introduction." Strayed chuckled as he listened to Lelouch's speech. "Let's just hope he can trump you in end results as well." He added before drinking a mouthful of water.

"Wherever oppressors threaten those without means of retaliation, we will appear again." Zero continued with fervor, the speech being heard I practically every house in Area 11, whether through a television or a radio. "No matter how mighty, how formidable the enemy may be."

_'Knights… for Justice…'_ Kallen thought to herself, admiring the idea and their leader.

_'Like this, we can make right.'_ Shinn told himself as he listened. _'Knights for Justice… This is where I must be. I'm sorry, dad, mom, Mayu… I'll be fighting for a while, and I know you hate that.'_

_'I've made my decision, Zero.'_ Setsuko concluded in her mind. _'It will be an honor to fight alongside you.'_

"Those of you with power… Fear us!" Zero flung his right arm, letting half of the cape flutter in the wind. "Those of you without it… Follow our backs!" He flung the left one, revealing the whole disguise and standing in a vampiric fashion. "We, the Black Knights, will be the ones that judge this world!"

* * *

There we go, the Black Knights have made their presence known to the world at large and they've left no one indifferent, hopefully.

Well then, I don't have much to say except that next chapter is in the works, so I'll leave you with the Sky Ruler's Schematics.

* * *

**-AC Name: **Sky Ruler

**-Lynx:** Hawk Magnus, AKA Strayed

**-Body Parts**

Head: EKHAZAR [Algebra Corp]

Torso: SOLUH [Eqbal]

Arms: HOGIRE [Rosenthal]

Legs: WHITE GLINT [Line Ark]

**-Weapons**

Right&Left Arms: 047ANNR Rifles x2 [BFF]

Backmounted: Sirius Hi-Laser Cannons [Interior Union]

Shoulders: 09-Flicker [Rayleonard]

Extra weapons: EB-O600 x2 [Omer]

**-Hardware**

Targetting system: INBLUE [Akvavit]

Engine: GN-LAHIRE [Omer]

Main Booster: MB11-LATONA [Interior Union]

Back Booster: BB11-LATONA [Interior Union]

A. Booster: AB-JUDITH [Omer]

Over Booster: KRB-JUDITH [Omer]

* * *

I'd like to apologize if some of the terms I've used to list the parts are not the actual ones, I'm spanish and so is my game so some of the things could have been translated differently.

Now then, that's all from me. Please review and tell me if you liked it.


	9. Chapter 08: A Reason to Fight

Alright then, time to update this. I know it's been over a month already but I'm quite sure the chapter will compensate for the wait. Not only is it the longest chapter of the story so far, but also my longest chapter ever written on the entire site. I'd like to publically thank Criticanon because he's seriously the best beta I could have found, the chapter wouldn't be half as good without his help.

Thanks to everyone that read, followed, favorited and/or reviewed. Armored Geass is past the 50 mark on Follows, Favorites and Reviews so thank you all for the support and here's hoping you'll continue enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it or even more.

Alright then, time to reply to your reviews:

**HolyDragoon**: My plans for Euphemia are mine to know and for you to find out, wouldn't be fun if I told you would it? But I will tell you this: Strayed has almost nothing to do with Euphy's fate, I have someone else to take care of that for me. Enjoy the chapter.

**brave kid**: It's good to be back, I'm doing my best here so please enjoy the story.

**RoyalTwinFangs**: The Sky Ruler will be updated, as in upgraded to its successor, at the same time a Gundam would. Meaning it's going to be around for the entirety of R1 and upgraded by R2. Have fun with the chapter.

**SkyCaptain502**: Well, there's the cover image, which has the Sky Ruler being shown. I will try to get something better in the future to show it though. Enjoy.

**KH-Hardcorefan4483**: You reminded me of a certain FFVII character there at the start xd.  
Making NEXTs is not as easy as getting the ammunition for the weapons, but rest assured that we'll be seing some things in the future, it's merely going to be a slow process. The KRB-Judith the Sky Ruler uses does have Assault Armor though, so he has access to it but doesn't use it most of the time. Hawk's just not too fond of Kojima weaponry in general, comes with what happened with the Sol Dios Orbit, so he keeps it as a trump card for critical situations. Well, here's hoping you'll have fun with this one too.

**cj1of4**: I'm all for that joke, but I'll keep the when and where to myself ;).  
It was stated that the tunnel was bigger than expected, meaning it was bigger than the one in the anime. Also, they weren't travelling through it side by side all the time so dodging was perfectly doable without bumping into each other. Lloyd had the Lancelots to record as much of the operation and the Sky Ruler as possible, but nothing else was in there so his sources are limited to that. Well, enjoy the chapter.

**mega1987**: No modifications were done, I'm simply winging things a bit using what I see in the game. What the OverBoost consumes are the Kojima Particles, a great concentration of which forms the Primal Armor, now then, the Sky Ruler's Primal Armor isn't forming, reasons explained in chapter, but the Generator is still making particles so the OverBoost can still work. That's my explanation anyway, I'm sure it's not the best reasoning out there but it makes sense to me. Here's hoping you'll like the chapter.

**Seeker213**: I hadn't thought of it... until you said it, now it's on the list of things to add by R2. So thank you very much for this awesome idea you've given, I appreciate it. Have fun with the chapter.

**Siphon 117**: Now that's a good question, and it's simple to answer. Hawk was letting them keep up with him through the tunnel, nothing more. He wanted to see what they could do froman allied point of view so he let them help instead of having them eat dust. If you're talking about the battles between them though, that's another story entirely. Enjoy the chapter.

**9N1n3-K1tsUnE**: Thanks, I'm happy you like it. Here's hoping you'll like this one just as much.

**Vandenbz**: Glad you like it and thanks for pointing that one out, no more Euphimia from now on, only Euphemia. I'll go about correcting that on past chapters soon. Enjoy the chapter and thanks again for pointing that out.

Alright then, on with the show. Have fun.

* * *

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own SRW, neither do I own Code Geass or any of its spin-offs. I also don't own anything related to the Armored Core franchise, unless you count my copy of the Armored Core For Answer game, that I do own. All I own that is shown in this story are Hawk Magnus, the design of his NEXT/s, the K-Filter and the SKAI computer installed in it.

* * *

**Chapter 08: A Reason to Fight**

It was a peaceful day in class, the sun shone, the birds sang in the courtyard and Lloyd Asplund had been coming to school for two weeks straight, which was nothing short of a miracle. Many students were actually wondering if it would snow anytime soon, after all, they were witnessing something far rarer than a hailstorm in the midst of spring. But those thoughts, and Lloyd's lesson, came to a rather abrupt stop due to one cry of.

"The Black Knights!" Kallen woke up with a start, having been dreaming about one of the operations they had been in during the past weeks, only to find herself standing up in class and having somehow made Lloyd hide under the teacher's desk. "Sorry…" She laughed nervously as Hawk sighed by her side and the rest of the class erupted in laughter.

"You really need to get used to this soon." The Lynx whispered when she dropped back onto her seat and Lloyd resumed the lesson, although he kept glancing around from time to time.

"I know, but this double life's a killer." She whispered back, and he made no attempt to deny it. "I just don't get how you can act like it's nothing."

"I've been at it for a while already." Hawk replied with a shrug and she yawned in reply. Not that he was immune to it, but he knew he could handle a few night operations before it really impeded him somewhat.

It had been a bit over two weeks already since the Black Knight's formation, and the organization was growing steadily. Although Zero had not been hostile towards Britannia for a while, the Black Knights had been focusing on the other aspect of their job, acting as Knights for Justice.

Drug dealers, corrupt politicians and high figures of the military that tried to make some extra money through questionable means. Almost every night, one or more of these undesirable characters was delivered to the police or killed, their organizations, if they had them, were dismantled overnight. Little by little, they'd been gaining recognition. Some still considered them terrorists, others just didn't know what to make of them and there were the few that actually called them heroes. Plus, the kids, Eleven and Britannian alike, had taken a shine for Zero's costume and cool speeches, as they called them.

Once classes were over, the two of them walked towards the council room once Hawk had gotten a book on Knightmare Frame mechanics from Professor Lloyd, when the brown haired teen had told him he was interested in the engineering field, specifically Knightmare Frames, the teacher had been more than happy to help. Hawk hadn't told anyone yet about the teacher's true identity, he wanted to exploit it as much as he could. Not many could learn about Knightmare Frames under the guidance of a scientist of Lloyd's caliber and while he could have told Lelouch to Geass the man into it, there really was no need to. Besides, that would probably lead to something that hampered the Lancelots' performance in some way, and what would he do if he didn't have the challenge of facing those Knightmares? Not that Britannian soldiers were pushovers, but when compared to a Lynx, there were few that could give him a challenge apart from whoever piloted those experimental Frames.

"Come on, Lelouch, stay still!" Rivalz voice was heard as they got closer and closer to the door, snapping the brown haired mercenary out of his thoughts. "This is harmless so stop making such a big deal out of it."

"Damn it, Rivalz!" The angered black haired student shouted in reply. "Untie me at once!"

"Should we go in or just turn back and leave?" Kallen asked nervously before Hawk, in a show of courage, opened the door.

Inside the council room sat Lelouch, tied up to one of the chairs and having had his face painted by Shirley, Rivalz and Suzaku while Milly did the same thing to Rai, who was taking it as best he could despite his predicament, although his twitching eyebrow revealed he wasn't too fond of the situation he had found himself in.

"Good Afternyan." She greeted, dressed in a rather revealing cat girl outfit, paws included.

"Good… Afternoon, I guess." The Lynx managed to reply awkwardly, Kallen didn't even get that far.

"What exactly is going on?" The redhead asked with fear in her voice.

"With everything that's been going on and the media chasing us all over the place due to the incident in Kawaguchi we never had time to welcome Arthur to our little family." The cat in question yawned from his spot, where he was observing the action taking place, especially the one concerning a certain raven haired vice-president.

"Suzaku!" Lelouch shouted all of a sudden. "Stop already!"

"I can't do that." The Honorary Britannian replied with a small smile. "President's orders."

"And you're going to tell me you're not enjoying it at all, huh?" The raven haired teen countered, making Suzaku look sheepish and causing everyone to laugh.

"We set some costumes for you too, so take your pick." Shirley added quickly before going back to work on Lelouch's make-up.

"No need." Lelouch smirked, he was going to deliver a bit of payback for their lack of help. "After all, Kallen and Hawk are already wearing masks."

"You can be really funny when you want to, Lelouch." The Lynx replied sarcastically, not amused in the least by the joke and making a mental note to remind the revolutionary student that certain secrets were to be held in confidence and not used as petty revenge.

"We should send him to a TV show, he'd be a riot with his jokes." Kallen added with a glare as intense as a shot from the Sky Ruler's cannons.

"Well, coming from one of the TV stars of the month, I guess we could send Lelouch out there." Rivalz chuckled before looking at Shirley. "What do the other stars of that day think?"

"Can you please stop bringing that up." Shirley sighed as she held her head. "It was a huge pain in the butt, we were chased for over a week with questions, we couldn't even relax in the bath!"

"We couldn't even leave the school grounds for that time either, except for Kallen." Milly added with a sly smile on her face. "Having that bodyguard of yours around did wonders in keeping the reporters and paparazzi away." Both Hawk and Kallen sent her an uncomfortable look, and she loved every second of it.

"By the way, you still haven't told us anything about that Strayed fellow who rescued you." Rivalz added, and both Suzaku and Rai tensed at the name of the NEXT pilot. "Did you manage to see his face?"

"Not really… He just left me in a Military outpost and left." She replied as she took her pick, she might as well enjoy the party a bit. "And the reason I haven't been so pressed for questions is because dad… convinced the TV companies to leave me alone."

"Sometimes I forget you're from a rich noble family." Rivalz muttered, scratching his cheek in discomfort.

"Regardless, it was really good to see you guys getting out of it alive." Hawk said as he put on cat ears and looked himself on a mirror. "I suppose we do owe Zero and the Black Knights a thank you for that, don't we?"

"Yeah, the Black Knights did save our friends." Lelouch smiled but it soon faded as he got a good look at Suzaku's features. "Is something the matter?"

"If they wanted to do things like that and what they've been doing these past weeks, why don't they join the police?"

"Maybe they just feel the police can't reach everywhere." Hawk suggested, walking up towards the brown haired teen. "You'd be surprised at how easily a little money can turn a full-fledged cop into a criminal."

"But that's why they should try to change things from the inside." Rai replied, the usually quiet silver haired teen seemed to have quite a lot to say on this matter. "It would take long, no doubt, but they could purge it from within and make sure it wouldn't happen again."

"Or they'd get caught up in the many restrictions and protocols that allow the higher ups to do all the dirty deals they want without being caught or prosecuted." Lelouch countered in a firm tone. "I think their approach is not that bad, all things considered."

"It's also a matter of standards, Lelouch." The brown haired teen said in a heated tone, making several of the people in the room decide not to join the discussion that was taking place. "What is evil? What is Justice? Unless we know what these Black Knights use in order to give judgment, they'll be nothing but self-righteous posturers that will cause nothing but harm."

"But still, they saved us." Kallen told him, a bit more fiercely than she had intended at first which caught many by surprise, but that didn't really stop her. "Shouldn't you at least give them the benefit of doubt?"

"I'll have to agree with Kallen on that one, until we see more we can't really judge them." Rai sighed before looking at the clock. "Suzaku…" He stopped right there, noticing the brown haired boy was somehow being held by Rivalz in a strange hold for bringing up the depressing atmosphere of a second ago. "We need to go."

"Huh?" The Honorary Britannian glanced at the clock as well, and his eyes widened at the time displayed. "You're right, we have to go back to base."

"Back to base?" Lelouch muttered weakly, but everyone heard him anyway. "As in the place you belong to?"

"Lelouch, I…" Suzaku started, but couldn't come up with a good reply to give his childhood friend so he decided to shut up instead. "I'm really sorry everyone, I had forgotten we had to be there sooner today."

"I suppose we'll have to postpone the party again." Milly sighed dejectedly. "Alright, you're all free to go for the day."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Government building, Viceroy Cornelia, accompanied by her personal forces, Nonnette and Asakim, was leaving on a mission to stop the arrival of the drug known as Refrain. As such, she was making sure Euphemia knew exactly what she needed to do in her absence, as well as throwing in a few warnings on what she should and shouldn't do with her free time. Mainly, keeping away from the ASEEC units and Devicers, although she suspected she wouldn't listen to that part.

"I wish you luck in your mission, sister." The pink haired Princess told her once she had finished saying the almost infinite list of instructions. "What about the Black Knights? You haven't said or done anything on the matter."

"A month was all I was going to give them in exchange of saving your life." Cornelia replied with a small smile, caressing her sister's cheek. "Once I come back from Kyushu though, gloves are coming off."

"I understand." Euphemia replied, keeping a happy face but deep down she was brimming with questions. Why had Zero's voice been so familiar? His mannerisms had been as well, and the way he addressed her reminded her of someone else's too, she just couldn't pinpoint who it belonged to.

"Once this Area is settled and promoted to Satellite Nation, I'll be leaving it to you." Cornelia added in a serious tone, looking at her younger sister in the eye. "I know you'll handle it well."

_'Rai, Suzaku… What do you two think of all this? You met one of Zero's men that day as well, what did you make of him?' _The pink haired princess thought to herself as her sister left. "Perhaps I should go ask them."

Euphemia walked through the various corridors until she reached the ASEEC section of the Military branch, where Lloyd and Cécile were feverishly going through every single record of the Sky Ruler they had. It was true that the machine had not appeared in the last three weeks, but coming up with counter measures for it was certainly high in both their lists. Plus, the Grail was scheduled to arrive today at any time now, so they were both quite excited too.

"Your Highness?" Rai's voice caught her by surprise as the ASEEC's two Devicers came in from the outside, clad in their pilot suits. "I thought the Viceroy had… asked that you didn't visit us for a while."

"I can make my own decisions Rai." She replied with a pout that made the two teenagers chuckle. "And I have told you time and time again not to be so formal with me. You two are the only people my age I can call friends and I hate it when you do that."

"Sorry, Euphy." The silver haired teen replied with a sheepish smile.

"Your interactions are always fun to watch." Lloyd said with a grin as he turned around to look at them. "Rai, Suzaku, get ready. We'll be testing the Grail as soon as it gets here, we wouldn't want to give the Knight of Nine a defective piece, now would we?"

"Understood." Both teens replied in unison. "See you in a moment, Euphy." Suzaku added with a smile as they both walked towards the changing room to get into their pilot suits.

"We'll talk more once we're done with the testing." Rai smiled at her, noticing she seemed to need someone to talk to. "Can you wait until then?"

"Sure, no problem." She replied, smiling back at them both and the two boys grinned, the pink haired Princess was suited to smile, she looked the most beautiful when she did. "Mind if I watch?"

* * *

Kallen yawned as she left Hawk's house. Despite how tired she had been she had ended up accepting the offer of training along with Shinn, Setsuko and Rand. Since in the last few operations Strayed had been using a Sutherland painted in his colors he now had enough units to conduct a four way simulation thanks to the program he had handed Rand a couple weeks ago. It seemed both he and Setsuko had taken to making sure Shinn would live through his next Knightmare battle quite seriously and Kallen had been asked if she wanted in on the action a week ago.

The training was simple looking yet incredibly realistic in terms of physics, and it ranged from infiltration missions to outright kill all enemies operations. She had been using Hawk's Sutherland since the Lynx obviously felt far more comfortable inside the Sky Ruler's cockpit, whenever he participated, that is. He didn't join them often since he was most of the time working, either alone or with Rand, to bring back online something called Primal Armor or further upgrading the NEXT's performance so it could match up to the two Lancelot units without having the cannons cut off, it had almost happened in Saitama after all according to him.

She got to her house in a matter of minutes and was soon greeted by a weak looking maid with brown hair and blue eyes whose gaze seemed slightly unfocused. That maid, as much as it pained her to see her like that, was her biological mother. Without so much as a word of greeting, she passed by her with the fury of a hurricane and entered her room, where she undressed and got into bed, she was too tired to deal with her klutz of a mother right now.

The next morning came soon and the rays of the sun woke her up. It was Saturday, so no school for her to attend. She considered what to do for a while but that train of thought was soon interrupted by a loud crash outside her room. Covering herself with the sheets as best she could, she opened her door only to find her mother on the ground by a broken step ladder and one of the hanging lamps she had been cleaning.

"Kallen… I mean, young mistress." The woman started when she noticed her presence. "I apologize for waking you."

"What happened?"

"The step ladder broke and I clung to what whatever I found first to avoid a fall." Her mother replied hesitantly.

"Clean it all up." She ordered harshly. "And have some clothes ready for me soon."

"Are you going out today as well?" The brown haired woman asked with a small smile. "You've been attending school quite often lately. Have you made any friends you're meeting today?"

"None of your business!" She told her as she got back into her room and slammed the door shut. "Please, just go away already…" She whispered, looking at an old photography she had on her desk. A picture of her and her brother as kids, hand in hand with a brown haired woman whose face had been covered by an adhesive bunny face. "Why won't you just leave?"

A few hours later, the doorbell rang and Kallen decided to go check who it was, she just didn't have anything better to do after all. She was surprised when her mother opened it just as she came down the stairs, and more surprised at seeing Milly and Hawk outside.

"Oh, Mistress Kallen, I was about to call you." The maid replied with a weak smile. "There are friends of yours asking for you."

"Sorry to come uninvited." Milly started with a smile and she seemed ready to continue but another voice cut her off as she did. "We came to hand in a couple papers and…"

"When I heard they were friends I was sure they'd all be male." Her stepmother's voice was heard from the top of the stairs, although she couldn't see Hawk from her position so she had assumed he was a girl as well. "Considering how you've been coming back home late and sometimes you haven't even returned until a couple days had passed…" She trailed off. "Not to mention all those excursions to the Ghetto you've been making." She glared at the brown haired servant. "Fighting one's blood is impossible it would seem."

"Pardon me, Lady Stadfelt." Hawk called out as he walked in, letting himself be seen. "But I'm afraid I haven't really understood what you may be alluding to."

"And you would be?"

"Oh, my apologies. It was rather rude of me not to introduce myself." The Lynx chuckled, he was going to play this woman the same way he had played every corporate backstabber he had met while working for the League, just like Rosenthal had taught him to, even if he hadn't ended up in the best terms with his foster father he still took his lessons to heart. "I'm Hawk Magnus, a classmate of your daughter, heir and sole remaining member of the Magnus family."

"…" The blond woman was left in shock at the reply and soon gulped, hoping it wasn't too late to solve this matter. If she downplayed Kallen now, revealing her origins in front of such a marriage prospect, her husband would never forgive her for losing them the fortune and prestige that could follow. "It was nothing, my lord. Just a small joke on my part."

"I see. Although I am curious about its meaning, I suppose I'll leave it at that this time." Hawk replied with a smile, it had been far simpler than he had expected. He was going to add something else for humiliation's sake but a loud crash got his attention before he even started.

The brown haired maid had been walking back ever so slowly during Hawk's and Lady Stadfelt's brief exchange due to the hate filled glare she had received. No one had seen it happening until she involuntarily hit a nearby vase and sent it crashing down onto the ground. The poor woman soon kneeled by the vase's side and started gathering the pieces.

"Hmph, as I thought." Lady Stadfelt huffed, deciding to take her anger out on the maid. "All you're good for is selling your body after all."

"Says the woman that's been enjoying dad's absence quite a lot these days." Kallen seethed in a low voice that no one but Hawk caught, and even then he had trouble understanding what she had said.

"It's nothing, I'll take care of this." The maid stood up, having gathered the pieces. "Once I'm done I'll bring some refreshments, where will you be, Mistress?"

"We'll be in my room." She replied simply, trying to keep her anger in check and not lash out at her.

The other two Ashford council members glanced at each other before following the redhead up the stairs, soon passing by Lady Stadfelt, who eyed them analytically.

"I apologize for this sorry display, Lord Magnus." The blond woman showed a fake smile as she spoke. "I assure you she will be dealt with."

"Why?" He asked in reply, shocking her. "Why would someone who has done no wrong be dealt with, as you say?"

"I… I thought my servant's behavior had offended you."

"Not in the slightest, please leave that woman be." The brown haired Lynx told her sternly. "If I hear otherwise, I might be… displeased."

Mentally congratulating himself for his Thermidor interpretation upon seeing the woman's shock and disbelief engraved in her features, Hawk followed his friends into the house and then inside Kallen's room. It was a pretty big room, all white with a king sized bed and little decoration. A desk, a table and several chairs, along with a shelf filled with books. The Lynx took note of the picture on the desk as they sat down around the table.

"It seems your home life is complicated, right Kallen?" Milly asked with no hint of mockery, simply curiosity.

"What did you want to give me, Madam President?" She ignored the question and got to the matter at hand.

"I supposed it wasn't a good idea to hand this over in school." Milly started as she brought out an envelope with the Ashford Academy seal. "And Hawk found out by accident and decided to tag along."

"These are…" She started.

"Your transcripts since middle school." The Lynx finished for her.

"So you both know then." She had told Hawk the other day when she met Setsuko for the first time, and it was hard for her to believe that Milly hadn't figured it out the moment she saw the transcripts. "That I'm half Britannian and half Eleven."

"Sorry about that." The Lynx smiled sheepishly, trying to ease the tension he was feeling on the rise. "I sort of stumbled upon it."

"It does not matter, I would have told you someday." She replied with a smile, they were keeping the act well.

"Well, this looks like something heavy, so I'll leave you two lovebirds with it." Milly said abruptly as she stood up and both of them blushed much to her pleasure. "See you on Monday, you two."

"Why's she still saying that?!" Kallen demanded with a blush and Hawk could only shrug in reply.

"The maid down there, she was your biological mother, right?" Hawk asked once Milly was out of the room and they'd been served tea and pastries. "Don't look so surprised, you have her eyes."

"You could tell just by that?" She replied in surprise. "You really are on a whole other level." The Lynx stayed silent, waiting for her to explain the story if she wanted to. "She's such a fool." Kallen started in a sad voice. "She's clinging to a lover that left her to rot in the hopes he'll look at her again."

"Do you hate her?"

"Not really…" She admitted, she had been harsh to her, yes. But mainly because it hurt her so much to see her mother clinging to her delusions every day. "I find her depressing, but I do not hate her."

"Having the wife, the other woman and the husband in the same house doesn't really sound like the best scenario for anything." Hawk sighed as he looked at her in the eye. "Especially if you are caught up in the middle."

"It's not that bad…" She started but stopped mid-sentence. "Most of the time."

"Will you be alright?" There was genuine worry in his voice.

"It's been like this for years already." She told him, noticing that he was actually concerned about her, something she was not used to seeing. "I can handle it."

"I know pretty well how being at odds with your family feels, and I know very well how the little things in life can gang up on you in a moment of weakness and tear you apart." Hawk admitted with a downcast glance at the floor. "If you ever need any help or simply someone to talk to, just say the word."

"Thanks." She smiled at him, genuinely grateful. "But, why do you worry so much."

"I care about my friends and my mission partners." He replied with a wry smile. "And I've taken a liking to spending time with you."

While Kallen attempted to suppress a blush at the Lynx's words, her mother was not exactly in what one would call good shape. The brown haired maid was shaking as she opened a locked drawer and extracted an injector and a small bottle of the drug known as Refrain. It was the only way she could manage to get some rest and ignore the many threats and insults painted in blood red on the walls of her small, almost constricting room. While the drug transported her to the world of dreams, she barely noted that she was running out of ampoules and managed to make a mental note to go get more on Monday.

* * *

At the same time, in Lelouch's room, C.C. was once more devouring pizza while the raven haired teen worked on his various projects. He had secured the help of a few more nobles, using Geass of course, and was aware that the people in Kyoto, the Resistance suppliers, were interested in his Black Knights, although interested was probably an understatement. As a matter of fact, in less than a week they'd be getting a small present, a token of appreciation of sorts consisting of several Burais, customized Glasgows not too different from the ones used by the Glory Stars, and something he hadn't managed to discover despite his extensive investigations.

"I have to admit, I'm better prepared than I expected to be at this point." Lelouch mused with a confident smile as he went through his list of personnel and equipment but his mouth soon became a thin line as he added. "Of course, the enemy is not behind on that front either, to think the Knight of Nine would be in Area 11 of all places, and to test one more of those hateful units no less."

"That means you'll have three of those things to worry about." C.C. commented with a smile as she ate in her usual attire of underwear and white shirt. "And your precious Strayed had trouble when facing two, imagine now."

"Not to mention he let them go when he had them at his mercy." He added, while he understood the Lynx's motives he did not approve of the move Hawk had made that day in Saitama. "Still, we had a bit of a situation at the time, had he stopped to finish them off the Glory Stars might have died too."

"A crippled mercenary group, and one of its members goes into battle with a giant wrench as his Knightmare's weapon." She giggled, something Lelouch noticed was rather unusual, if not a first. The immortal was usually a rather monotonous person, although sometimes she came around with a remark or comment that let her personality surface. Still, giggles were not something he heard out of her often. "You're a magnet for weird people."

"I must be." He chuckled, unable to deny it. "An immortal witch, a warrior from another world, a pilot that goes into battle with a wrench as his only weapon, a bunch of people willing to fight for justice at my side…" He trailed off, smiling broadly. "Not the most usual of companies, that's for sure."

"And that is one of the reasons you interest me so, Lelouch." The green haired girl commented with a smile before going for the phone. "I'm going to order more pizza, do you want some?"

"How kind of you, to offer me the food you pay with my money." He replied in a deadpan tone before sighing. "Just ask for one more of yours and I'll take my pick when they get here." And he got back to work while the immortal made the call.

* * *

Well into midnight of that same day, a light was still on at the basement of a certain house. In said basement was Rand Travis, sitting on a chair and going bug-eyed at the documents he was reading on the computer, documents provided by the young man standing by his side at the time, the one man that was giving him and his companions a roof.

"I have to admit it, Hawk." Rand said in a deadpan tone as he went over the data the Lynx had provided him with. "I have not even the slightest idea as to who this Kojima guy was, nor can I even start to imagine how he kept himself and all this knowledge hidden away."

"As I'm sure you've read, Kojima Particles are highly contaminating and corrosive." The Lynx explained, making careful note of all he said so he wouldn't end up contradicting himself in the future. "Kojima didn't want them out into the world in that state."

It was a lie, according to the historical records Professor Kojima had been so eager to put the Particles to use he hadn't even given a thought to the long-term consequences, which had been total devastation of the environment due to the overuse of the energy by the time Hawk was ten years old, and half of humanity fleeing to the Cradles when he was twelve.

"So, one question." The red haired man eyed him with suspicion. "How come none of us start crumbling apart when that thing's active?"

"The Kojima Generator is equipped with a special part called the K-Filter." Hawk explained dismissively. "It's basically a device that depurates the particles, making them far less contaminating and not as corrosive, at least in small concentrations."

"What about high concentrations?"

"I think you already know the answer to that." The mercenary replied with a raised eyebrow, getting a nod from the mechanic in reply. "Regardless, a high concentration of particles can also act as a shield, that's what the Primal Armor is based on."

"Any luck on bringing that back online?"

"Not really." The Lynx sighed. "But I have finally found the problem." Rand stayed silent, waiting for him to elaborate. "Some of the conductors for the particles are damaged and do not channel them properly, thus rendering the Primal Armor unable to form correctly. Luckily, it hasn't led to a leak that could prove lethal to people around, and it's highly unlikely it will according to SKAI."

"What's the catch?" Rand asked, knowing that if the Lynx was aware of the issue and wasn't solving it there was something keeping him from doing so.

"I'd have to dismantle the entire unit, and I'd also need someone capable enough to remake any conductors that are too damaged to simply patch, and they'd have to do that from scratch." Hawk explained, shaking his head. "I'd wager all this would take about a month to do even if I do find someone capable of crafting what I need, and I doubt a situation where the Sky Ruler is necessary won't arise in that time."

"Quite true." Rand conceded before yawning, his tiredness finally catching up to him after all the training and then the reading on Kojima Energy Hawk had finally let him have. "Mind if I ask another favor?"

"So long as it's within what I can do."

"Next time, let me check some of the weapons blueprints." He stated with a weary smirk. "I'm sure I can adapt some of them to Knightmare Frame usage."

The Lynx eyed him for a moment, a mixture of shock and realization in his eyes before he smiled and nodded, that made Rand's day. Oh, he didn't really buy all that Hawk had told him, but decided that asking any further was not a good idea, he'd go with the version of the events he'd gotten and he'd like it for now, until the Lynx finally trusted him and the rest of the group enough to reveal the truth.

* * *

The weekend passed and Monday came. Once classes were over, Kallen got a call from Ohgi about that night's operation. It was the same as the last few ones, raiding a Refrain producing and manufacturing plant run by a few corrupt nobles, who were coincidentally going to be there that night. Zero would make the opening move and then they'd move in and sweep the place, whether the people responsible lived or died was irrelevant. She and Strayed would be using their Knightmares to make quick work of the situation.

"Another night mission." She sighed, knowing that probably meant she was going to fall asleep in class again the next morning. "I wish I was used to it like Hawk is."

She walked around the mall, not really looking at anything in particular, until the sounds of fists impacting against flesh got her attention, as well as that of many people in the streets. The sounds and yells of pain came from an Eleven hot dog seller, a young man with brown hair who was now kneeling on the ground, covering his body as best he could from the attacks he was receiving, delivered by five punks who had nothing better to do.

"Those bastards…" Kallen seethed and she moved forward to help the guy out, but a hand seized her shoulder before she got too far, Lelouch's hand. "Let me go!"

"Even you would be hard pressed to win a five on one fight." The raven haired teen stated with a cold look in his eyes.

"So you want me to just stand here and ignore what's happening right in front of my eyes?" She asked angrily. "Not happening."

"Why do you think he's not fighting back?" Lelouch asked her, and that stopped her in her tracks. "He's an Eleven, an Honorary Britannian, if he fights back, he'll lose his job and the rights of being something closer to the Britannians than the rest of the Elevens."

"That's…" The sound of a fist breaking something got both their attentions and their eyes snapped back to the scene, where a very familiar brown haired boy in an Ashford Academy uniform had punched one of the punks to the ground and sent one tooth flying out of his mouth.

"First two on one, and now five on one." The Lynx stated coldly. "You people really fall lower every day."

"You…!" One of them snarled before charging at Hawk, only to be met by an elbow to the stomach. The other three soon faced a similar fate and ended up writhing on the floor around the mercenary disguised as a student. "Let's get out of here!"

"Are you alright?" Kallen asked as she ran towards the downed Eleven, who was staring at Hawk with a weird look in his eyes.

"Tell me." The Honorary Britannian started. "Were you the one that helped dad a month ago?"

"I did help another hot dog seller a month ago that was in a similar situation." The Lynx replied, offering his hand to help the man stand, but when he noticed the rage in his features he stopped for a second and got a punch to the face for the distraction.

"Because of you, the Purists went after him." The man shouted as he threw another punch to the Lynx's gut. "They killed him."

"What?!" Hawk managed to get out after kneeling on the ground, holding his stomach, a look of utter shock and disbelief on his face. "No…" Kallen wasn't sure about what to do anymore.

"I'm sorry for the outburst miss." The hot dog seller said in a low voice. "I'll be leaving now."

"And that's why helping them like this is out of the question." Lelouch voiced as he walked up to them once the angry hot dog seller had left. "It makes no difference. If they resist they're killed, if they don't they're humiliated. That's how things work in Britannia."

"And what does Lelouch Lamperouge think about it?" Kallen asked as Hawk somehow stood up, breathing heavily. "What does the Student Council's smartest man have to say about it?"

"Even if I said anything, nothing would change." The raven haired teen gave out a void chuckle that was soon cut off by a powerful slap to the face.

"So you'll sit by and watch, just like that?" She shouted in anger. "You'll do nothing but look and say it shouldn't be, yet not move a muscle to change things? Well, I'm different!" And she rushed off after a concerned look at the Lynx, who gestured at her that he was fine.

"She hits hard." Lelouch muttered, caressing his cheek.

"You're the one that pushed buttons until she exploded, you know?" Hawk replied, having finally fully recovered from the two blows he received, although the third one and most crippling was that he had helped a man and that man had died because he helped him. "This country is truly rotten." He muttered in disgust.

"We'll change it." Lelouch muttered in reply. "Japan is just the first step in that."

"Mission tonight?" The Lynx asked as they walked down the street and Lelouch nodded. "Do I bring the Glory Stars?"

"No, I want to keep that card hidden for now... Unless they want to go as foot soldiers" The raven haired teen told him in a serious tone. "You and Kallen will suffice inside your Frames." They soon changed topic, but there was one thing that did not leave the Lynx's mind for even a second, despite how much he tried to forget. There was another lost life to add to his count, and one more to add to the list of people that had done nothing wrong.

That night, the Black Knights stood outside a warehouse in the port, waiting for Zero's signal to move in and do their job. While many were still wondering why in the world they were going around making things easier for the police instead of fighting Britannia, both their Ace pilots had something completely different in their minds.

"Are we doing the right thing?" Kallen muttered mostly to herself as she recalled the seller's outburst and Lelouch's words. "I thought we were, but…"

_'Innocents die, that's nothing new.'_ Hawk thought to himself as he sighed, remembering what Kasumi had told him all those years ago, when she began training him to be a competent Lynx after he had gotten through the AMS test_. 'Even if you wanted to avoid it, no path is void of sacrifice. To keep on living in this world we're in your hands will be dirtied, whether you want them to or not does not matter, you'll be forced to press countless triggers along the way.'_

"Still, walking the path where the least blood is spilled is all I can do." He whispered, although it came out as incoherent mumbling through the helmet, causing both Shinn and Setsuko to throw a worried glance at him. _'I've got to pull myself together, it's not the first time this has happened.'_

For a second, the brown haired mercenary's thoughts went back to the Cradle 21 incident and how he had messed it up due to his inexperience. He shook his head repeatedly to push those thoughts away but it wasn't working and his brain was starting to recall how it had all happened since the beginning of that mission.

* * *

A month had passed since the eighteen year old Hawk Magnus had been accepted in Collared and gotten his personal NEXT courtesy of his foster father, President Rosenthal. While Hawk was technically affiliated to the company like Gerald Gendlin and Dario Empio, the pilots of the Noblesse Oblige and Transcend respectively, he had free reign on what missions to take and from who, as long as they were not against Rosenthal.

His first mission had been a test from the League, assaulting a stronghold of the rebel group known as Line Ark, and he had pulled it off without a hitch. Strangely enough, the only company that seemed to take an interest in him had been Interior Union and the mission they sent for him had been the destruction of a GA owned ArmsFort part of the Eighth Fleet pertaining to that company's army. The rest of Collared had expected the pampered pretty boy, as they had taken to call him since his joining them, to die ten seconds into the mission, and he'd shoved his flawlessly completing the mission in their faces with no little amount of pleasure.

He had even advanced two ranks in the Collared hierarchy, being now Rank 29 out of the thirty-one mercenaries of the organization, and been given a much wider arrange of missions available for him. Omer Science Technology had him take the B-7 mining facility controlled by Torus, and even GA had gotten over his crippling their Eighth Fleet and given him the mission to raid the Mimir naval port owned by Interior, where he had destroyed the prototype ArmsFort stored there.

Needless to say, that hadn't really helped in his relationship with Interior since they had yet to send another mission his way. GA, however, had apparently taken a liking to him and he had been promptly asked to intercept a Torus attack force headed for the Sphere, a massive Kojima Energy production plant owned by the company.

After that, Omer had sent another assignment, one that had put him working alongside Otsdarva, the first Rank of Collared, himself. However, things hadn't gone well between the two. Upon completion of the mission, Otsdarva had made one little remark that hadn't made Hawk precisely happy. "That's all? Feh, I should have known… nothing here but boring enemies and _worthless_ allies."

The young Lynx had taken offense to the remark and gotten so worked up he ignored Serene's orders and ended up challenging Otsdarva there and then. It was over in an instant, Stasis had sidestepped his Laser Blade slash and shot both of the Eternal's legs to hell with barely any effort before taking aim for the cockpit with his high powered Laser Rifle and... not firing.

"Do you see now?" The First Rank had taunted. "You are worthless, and yet there is something about you that is promising. No one in Collared would have even thought about doing what you've done today, no one as close to the bottom as yourself I mean. You have guts kid, and good moves too because you almost got _me_." The man chuckled at that. "I'll be keeping an eye on you, kid, you've got potential there so don't disappoint me."

Thinking about it still enraged the young Lynx, that damn bastard had put him out of commission for over a week, that was how long it took to get a set of LANCEL legs to change the ones he had lost. But things had certainly taken a turn for the better after that. He had been hired by GA again, this time to assault the Richland agricultural plant belonging to Algebra Corp. along with one of their Lynx, May Greenfield, pilot of the NEXT known as Merrygate and dubbed by the rest of Collared as Smiley due to her emblem. Needless to say, the young woman had left quite an impression on him.

"Merrygate reporting, commencing attack." She had said calmly as they landed after hearing Serene's explanation on the situation. "No need for a shield, that's what Heavies are for." She had stated before running forward towards the approaching Normals and readying her back-mounted missiles. "I'm launching a frontal barrage, pin-point target just isn't my style! You'll have to take care of that thing."

And taken care of that he had, using the smoke from the explosions caused by his ally as cover, Hawk had Over Boosted towards the ArmsFort present and sliced its belly apart with his Laser Blade until it collapsed due to the extensive damage. After that they had mopped up the remains of the Algebra forces guarding the place and called it a day, it had almost been too easy with May and Merrygate covering him.

"Nice work there, newbie." May told him as they returned to their transport. "We have to do this more often, you're a good partner to have around."

"I could say the same thing to you." The young Lynx replied with a smile, he and May had just seemed to click on the battlefield and knowing her a bit more sounded good. "I'd love to go on a couple more missions with you."

"You know, how about we meet after the next Collared meeting? I'd love to introduce you to my team." She said enthusiastically. "Don't worry, they're all good people."

"Sure, why not." He nodded to himself before a question came to mind. "When's the next meeting?"

"I think it's on Sunday." She replied. "Well, see you then." And then she veered Merrygate towards her base.

Two days later, on Saturday, there was a scheduled meeting of the League, and Hawk had been asked to accompany President Rosenthal to the meeting in order to be introduced to the higher ups of the League. Said reunion had soon turned into an emergency briefing in which it had been revealed that a rebel group known as Liliana had taken over Cradle 21 and were holding it hostage until their demands were met or they would send it spiraling down to the surface. Due to most of the Lynx being too far from the Cradle to make it before the time limit to answer their demands, Hawk was the only option available since he had brought his NEXT along.

"You'll be using a plane outfitted to transport your NEXT, it will be linked to your controls until you disengage it." Serene Haze, his operator, informed as they walked rapidly towards the hangar. "You'll be going in under the pretense of delivering the payment and you'll be dropped in the middle of the enemy forces."

"I got it." The young Lynx replied with a smile as they reached his customized LANCEL, named Eternal. It was mainly white, with blue as secondary color and black junctures. The camera eyes were yellow and it was armed with two Chain-guns on the back, an ACACIA Assault Rifle in its right hand and the Rosenthal Laser Blade on the left. It also carried SCYLLA homing missiles on its shoulders and Lare Handguns as additional weaponry.

"I'm sure I don't need to repeat this but be careful out there." Serene added as the boy approached the cockpit to board it. "These are terrorists, you never know what they're going to pull."

"I said I got it, Serene." The Lynx sighed, a bit tired of the constant warnings. "I've got a few missions under my belt already and they've all gone well… except that one time I thought challenging Stasis was an intelligent idea." He added sheepishly when he felt the glare his operator sent him.

"That may be, but a few missions done well doesn't mean you can be reckless, your life's at stake here." The black haired woman said sternly. "I can't have you dying so early, you know? It would make my training look bad."

"Don't worry, I am not going to die…" The boy reassured her before his voice took on a darker edge. "Not until White Glint has paid for what he did."

Serene sighed, there was not getting him out of that, and who could blame him? As far as she knew, White Glint had taken everything from that boy the day Anatolia disappeared from the maps. It was only logical to want the only one left among the people responsible for it to pay for what you lost.

"Well, I have to go." The Lynx said as he got into the cockpit of his NEXT. "I'll be counting on you for this."

"Rest assured, I have your back." Serene replied before turning around towards the communication room provided by the League. "Good luck."

As soon as the Eternal was loaded on the transport, the plane took off towards Cradle 21, it didn't take too long to get there since it was the closest of the Cradles to the League's meeting point, something the terrorists probably knew. The moment the plane entered Cradle 21's airspace, a voice crackled through the speakers of the plane and the NEXT inside it.

"This Cradle is under Liliana's control." A man with Russian accent stated calmly. "State your business here, League dog."

"I've come to deliver the payment you and the board agreed on." Hawk lied smoothly as he'd been taught by his foster father. "Please direct me to a landing point in which I can drop it."

"Center of the Cradle. Hard to miss, don't you think?" The voice replied, his tone laced in amusement.

"Indeed." The Lynx agreed in a whisper before directing the plane towards the point in question.

"You're in position." Serene commented off-handedly as her tone changed into a more professional one. "Commence mission. Retake Cradle 21 and eliminate the Liliana insurgents. They're extremists but they can only deploy Normals, no match for your NEXT."

Without a reply from the young Lynx, the plane fell apart as intended in its design, letting the customized LANCEL fall in the midst of five Liliana Normals who were quickly dispatched by a combination of rifle fire and laser blade slashes.

"Careful, you don't want to damage the Cradle with those explosions." Serene chastised over the com-line before the voice that had welcomed them earlier sounded over the open channel.

"So the League has sent us a traitorous Lapdog, haven't they?" The Russian mocked. "Very well, let it be known that the Cradle fell because of you."

"They're setting explosives on the engines." Serene informed, using the Cradle's outside cameras to get a feed from her position. "You have to take them out before they can detonate them."

"If I destroy the Normals, will the explosives be set off?" The Lynx asked cautiously as he moved towards the closest group of terrorists.

"We can't take that risk, the Cradle will plummet if enough of the engines are destroyed." His operator replied. "Disable them, but do not blow them up under any circumstance."

"This mission just got a lot harder." The Lynx grumbled under his breath before charging the group of three in front of him.

"What the hell's a Lynx doing here?!" One of the terrorists shouted in panic as he fired at him.

"Duh, the League sent him!" Another replied just as the first one got his legs sliced off. "Crap!"

The third stayed silent and opened fire with a back-mounted bazooka once he had set the charge. Not that it did the group any good when twin Chain-guns opened fire on them and riddled their Normals with bullets until they were rendered unusable.

"Next batch, where?" the Lynx said out loud as he looked at his radar and waited for any orders from his operator. "There." And he boosted towards the next group of terrorists.

"A Collared soldier!" One shouted in terror. "How? They should be too far to reach this place before the time limit we set!"

"Feh." His partner scoffed. "It's just a wild cat without fangs. He just got lucky earlier."

"Keep telling yourselves that." The young Lynx replied over their channel as he cut one arm off and shot the other to hell with the assault rifle before moving towards the one that mocked him and cut off legs and head. "You're so lucky I can't kill you because I risk damaging the Cradle."

"Those are all the enemies on that area." Serene informed. "Move towards the west area and stop them before they pull this off!"

Wordlessly, Hawk turned the Eternal in the intended direction and activated the Over-Boost, moving at the maximum speed a NEXT could acquire and reached the west end of Cradle 21 where another group of Liliana was finishing their job on the second engine, they had already destroyed the one on the farthest end.

"Damn those bastards!" He snarled and quick-boosted out of the way of a bazooka shell fired towards him.

"Show that fool!" The one that seemed the leader of the small squad shouted. "Victory rewards the ready!"

"Damn, let's just do this!" The other four chorused as they opened fire.

The white and blue NEXT quick-boosted aside again, avoiding the most dangerous projectiles while he let the Primal Armor handle the bullets. Another Quick-boost put the young Lynx right in front of the leading Normal and he promptly cut off its legs with a swift slash, put a bullet in the junctures of the arms and the head camera and moved to the next target. The process was repeated until the last Normal of the bunch was left unusable.

"Just one group left." Serene informed. "Mop them up and we're done."

"Roger that." The Lynx replied automatically as he moved towards the targeted destination and soon found himself under anti-air fire from the seven Normals on the Cradle. Apparently they had been two separate groups, but they had finished destroying their assigned engines and joined up to blow up a third one.

"Fire! Blast that bastard!" One shouted, rallying. "He's a soldier, just like us! We can take him!"

"Liliana Forever!" Another proclaimed in a crazed tone. "For the future of Humanity!"

"Of course." The Lynx sighed as he approached his enemies, using Quick-boosts to avoid the missiles and shells as he let the bullets dissolve against the Primal Armor, the few bullets that got through the Kojima field did little against the durable metal the NEXT was made of. "Because dropping a massive airship holding millions of people headfirst onto the surface at breakneck speeds from seven thousand kilometers high is going to solve all of Humanity's problems." He commented with dripping sarcasm.

"Damn, we're being ripped apart!" One scared terrorist shouted as his companions fell to the ground under the rain of Chain-gun bullets. Faster than he could follow, the white NEXT cut off his left arm and, with precise use of its Quick-boost, whirled around, kneeled and cut off his legs.

"Last one down." Hawk stated before putting a bullet through the camera of the last enemy. "Hopefully."

The white and blue NEXT took to the air and hovered over the Cradle, the Lynx inside eyeing the remains of the Normals the Liliana insurgents had used to take control over the cradle and using the radar and cameras to find any target he may have missed. He was about to report a "Mission complete." But his operator's voice stopped him from doing so.

"Enemy reinforcements inbound." Serene said in a serious tone, and glancing at his radar, Hawk did see the six red dots coming from the east in his direction. "Those are… NEXT Drones, they're experimental weapons and have many weak points." She informed professionally and Hawk could feel a downside to that information coming. "Watch out for their blades, those can cut through Primal Armor like a hot knife through butter."

"Why are these missions always complicated?" The Lynx sighed in mock-whining as he turned his NEXT around to face the approaching Drones and unleashing a rain of bullets from the Chain-guns. Surprisingly, the Drones lifted the massive Hi-Laser blades and used them as shields, rendering the attack ineffective. "You've got to be kidding me."

The Drones seemed to take that as their signal to strike, sending several blue laser shots at the NEXT opposing them as they closed in fast, intent on cutting their white and blue opponent to shreds. The NEX moved out of their way, targeting the last of the bunch and raining rifle fire on its back until the engine gave up and it plummeted downwards. Bad luck had it that it landed on top of one of the engines and blew it up when it exploded.

"Fuck." Hawk cursed as he counted the destroyed engines. Five of them counting the one that just went out because of him, if six more of those stopped working the Cradle would fall. "Oh, come on!"

His last outburst was caused by the Drones promptly ignoring him except for two of them and start firing laser beams at another engine, this one on the upper side of the Cradle. He evaded the combined assault of his opponents and attempted to repeat his strategy, but they saw it coming and moved out of the way before he got a lock on them.

"Any good ideas, Serene?" He asked as he racked his own brain for any good plan.

"They are adapting to your strategies, you have to take them down fast or they'll overwhelm you." The operator replied. "Their Primal Armor is weak, almost nonexistent, as you sure have noticed. And they are only capable of basic programmed maneuvers. You have to use that to your advantage."

"Well, better than nothing." He chuckled dryly as he Quick-boosted out of a sword to the cockpit and landed an unorthodox slash across his attackers back. "Time to put these to use." And he fired the SCYLLA missiles, blowing it up before it damaged the Cradle like the last one.

The remaining Drone attempted the run him through from behind, but a warning from his operator and a timely Quick-boost got him out of the situation, allowing him to rain Chain-gun fire on the Drone's back until the engine caught fire and exploded.

Another explosion got his attention, this one coming from the engine the remaining Drones were attacking. Over-boosting to them, Hawk tackled one from behind and sliced it apart with the Eternal's Laser Blade. Its partners seemed to take offense to that as they charged him at a speed he barely got away from, one of the Drones cut off his sword arm in passing, completely ignoring the Primal Armor like Serene had said.

"Would saying that I want one of those swords make me sound stupid?" He asked his operator, and he quite literally heard the palm meeting the face. "Alright, sorry, I'll get serious here."

"You best." She replied sternly.

The Drones charged at him again, but this time he was ready, instead of dodging to the left like they had seen him do all the time, he chained a backwards boost with a quick-boost to the right and fired the SCYLLA in quick succession. The missiles impacted against the Drones' arms and blew up the Hi-Laser Blades. An instant later, the Chain-guns were out and firing on them until they ran out of bullets, although by that time the Drones were nothing but piles of burning scrap falling on the Cradle.

"Please tell me there aren't any more of those around." Hawk mock-pleaded, mostly. The Eternal was going to be undergoing repairs for at least three days after this, and that lost arm and Laser Blade were going to take a chunk out of his funds to get back, so he wasn't in a good fighting condition right now.

"No, the radar's clear." Serene replied much to his relief. "All targets destroyed, mission accomplished. Now get back to base, the League's relief forces will handle the rest."

"I'm afraid I can't just let you do that." The Russian voice from the beginning of the operation spoke with a dangerous edge. "But just killing you would be so… petty, it wouldn't be called revenge." The voice chuckled. "So, how about I do this instead?"

A second later, all the Normals scattered over the Cradle exploded, blowing up close to the explosives they had planted and taking four of the engines with them. The Cradle tilted dangerously to one side but still remained airborne much to the Lynx's relief. Until a massive hail of missiles made its way towards one of the still remaining engines and blew it up. And with that engine, whatever ability the Cradle had to keep itself on air went down in flames, much like the gigantic structure itself would do in under a minute.

The young Lynx could do nothing more than stare as the Cradle became unable to sustain altitude, much to his relief though, it started a controlled descent instead of simply plummeting downwards like the first models would have. Shaking his head, Hawk began to look for the person responsible, his beeping radar catching the presence of a NEXT, a Mid-Lightweight model combining parts from Omer and Algebra, armed with a Shotgun and a Rifle in its hands and a Chain-gun and Missile Launcher on its back.

"Hmm…" The Russian voice was heard again just as the enemy machine moved forward towards the Cradle, intent on finishing the job. "Looks like this piece of scrap is far more stubborn than I expected."

"Why?!" Hawk snarled as he moved in to intercept as fast as he could. "Why are you doing this?!"

"I thought I already told you, little Lapdog, this is my revenge." The man replied with amusement coating his words. "Then again, why don't we make this more interesting?" Pausing for a moment, as if thinking, the voice continued. "I'll target the furthest engine on the superior wing. If you can defeat me before I reach it you'll save everyone, how's that sound?"

"You insane bastard!" The young Lynx cursed under his breath. "I'll get you for this."

"I'm sure you will." The Russian taunted before setting towards his target with the angered 29th Rank on his trail.

Pushing the Eternal to its current limits, Hawk started closing in on the Russian's NEXT. When his systems locked on his target, he fired his Assault Rifle, but the mid-lightweight unit simply moved out of the way of his shots with hardly any effort and didn't even bother on returning fire. The bastard was even humming a tune while he made a fool out of the young Lynx.

"That's it!" Hawk lost it from that moment forward and what happened next was barely a blur for him. He closed in on the enemy NEXT using Over-Boost and got the best lock he could possibly get before firing the SCYLLA twice. The homing missiles locked on to their target and followed his every move… until the opposing NEXT quick-boosted aside and they slammed right into the engine the Russian had mentioned as his target.

Out of his enraged frenzy, the young Lynx was once more left without anything to do but stare as the last explosion seemed to strain the remaining engines, causing them to overheat from the strain of trying to keep the Cradle on air and exploded one by one like fireworks at a party. The maniac laugh filling the open channel was the final nail on his conscience as tears of impotence and anger streamed down his face.

"You!" He shouted in a broken voice, turning to face the green NEXT that had a Shotgun aimed at his cockpit. "This is all your fault!" And he charged forward, firing his Assault Rifle.

"Oh, but I didn't do anything, I merely moved aside. You know, that thing called dodging?" The Russian mocked as he sidestepped the attack, as if trying to prove the point, and shot the arm holding the weapon, rendering it useless. "Sorry, little Lapdog, but the only person responsible of this is you. If you hadn't come here, they'd be alive and we would have left with our payment." His voice was filled with dark amusement.

Hawk's eyes widened, his mind taking in those words and realizing that they were partly true, he had a part on this. He could have done more, he could have done things differently, he could have lured the guys out... There were a thousand different ways in which he could have gone about this mission without allowing the Russian bastard to do what he did. And even worse, he had been lured into the bastard's game and he had been the one to give the final blow to the Cradle.

"Twenty million people..." He whispered, distraught. "And it was… my fault."

"Hawk! Snap out of it!" Serene shouted over the com. "You're a sitting duck. Move it, dammit!"

"It would seem I have overstayed my welcome here." The Russian commented as he whirled his NEXT around towards his escape route. "Until next time, Lapdog. Go be a good murderer for me, will you?"

And Hawk could, once more, only sit there and watch as the man activated his Over-Boost and disappeared from sight, then his unit started to shake as a voice called his name and all went black…

* * *

"Hawk!" Kallen's voice snapped the Lynx out of his thoughts and he realized she had gotten her Glasgow closer to his Sutherland and she was standing by his side, she had even taken off his helmet without him noticing. "Are you alright? You've been breathing heavily for a while and you didn't even react when I got this off of you. You're really pale and… Are you crying?"

"Yeah… I'll be fine." Hawk took a deep breath and used a nearby towel to wipe the cold sweat and the tears off his face before giving her an uneasy look. "Just… remembering something."

"Must have been something pretty nasty." Rand commented off-handedly, causing Hawk to realize that his guests were there too, in fact they were the ones that provided the towel he was using.

"You have no idea." The Lynx said, noticing that his throat was dry, very dry. "Did I… say anything weird?"

"Not that we could hear." Setsuko replied before narrowing her eyes. "You look pretty shaken up, are you sure you're alright."

"Not really, but I'll be in a second." He chuckled dryly before bringing out his trusty water and drinking until he was sated.

"If you don't mind, what were you remembering?" Shinn asked him, which got a startled look on everyone else's faces minus the Lynx.

"My first job gone wrong." He admitted after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. "Because of me and my actions so many people died, I should have been better and thought more about the situation." He sighed before showing a sad smile. "Maybe then I would have considered the possibility that they put explosives in their units and I wouldn't have messed up." _'Nor would I have fallen for Old King's games.'_ He added to himself.

"Come on, you guys!" Tamaki shouted, which would have blown their cover had Lelouch not Geassed the guards into suicide already, and stopped them from asking any further about his past. "Look sharp, we've got a job to do!"

"There's the signal." Ohgi said as a bright green light came from the door to the warehouse.

"He actually pulled it off." Inoue cheered in surprise.

"Again, I might add." Rand chuckled, sometimes Zero's followers seemed to forget the amount of things like that he had pulled off in the past weeks.

"Zero's got some serious tricks up his sleeve." Tamaki laughed for a couple seconds at his own statement. "As expected of our Leader."

"Let's get this done." Strayed said in a far calmer voice as he entered his black and white Sutherland's cockpit, his focus on the operation allowing him to get a clear head for the time being.

"Understood." Kallen muttered as she filed her worries for later, she'd find answers to his and her problems when her friends' lives were not on the line.

The Black Knights charged into the Refrain complex guns blazing, Strayed and Kallen opened the way in by ramming their Knightmares through the front, tearing apart the thin metallic shutter like a man would a piece of paper and opening fire with their guns. Zero and the rest of the Black Knights followed soon, finishing off whatever stragglers were left, although the leaders of the operation managed to go into the back of the warehouse.

"You're not getting away!" Kallen shouted as he followed them with Strayed close behind. They soon found themselves in a dark area of the warehouse, which had turned out to be more extensive than any of them had expected it to be.

"Switch to night vision." Strayed commented, activating the feature as he heard what seemed like a lot of people talking around them, outside their units.

There were about fifty or sixty Elevens in front of them, mumbling incoherencies or shouting about their good fortune, among them and much to the Lynx's surprise was the hot dog seller from that morning, jumping in happiness at how he was going to study abroad.

"Refrain…" Kallen seethed as she too looked around. "A drug that makes you dream about the good old days."

"They're caught in the past, unable to grasp the future or fight for it…" Strayed added in a low voice. "Much like the people left on the surface, unable to understand why they were left behind and only able to regret their misery."

Before Kallen could even begin to ask about what he meant by the surface and what it had to do with the situation they were in, another voice caught her attention. A very familiar voice coming from a brown haired, blue eyed woman that was chasing a ghost from the past while calling her name over and over. A woman she soon recognized as her mother.

"No…" She cried in disbelief but they were soon tears of anger and impotence. "I knew you were weak mother, you gave in to Britannia and to a man, but I thought you were stronger than this."

While the two wallowed in their thoughts, spurned by the many doubts they had been bombarded with during the day, three white machines made their appearance and soon opened fire on them. Instinctively, Kallen moved her Frame to cover her mother, losing her right arm and weapon in the process. Strayed suffered a similar fate, although he also lost the chest mounted gun and a slash harken due to being fired upon by two enemies as he covered several of the addicts from becoming nothing but bloody corpses. His machine's left arm was also sparking dangerously, indicating it couldn't take much more strain.

"Police units!" Strayed was shocked, he and Tamaki had checked for each and all traces of police involvement in this deal, and found none. "Or maybe just stolen units."

"Corrupted filth!" Zero seethed as he observed the situation and made a quick plan. "K-5, Q-1, separate! Go to the opposite ends of the warehouse through the longest routes you can find on the maps I gave you, we'll set traps while you keep them busy."

"Got it." They both replied in unison as they did what they were told to and dashed towards the sides of the warehouse.

"But we brought no equipment to fight Knightmares!" Tamaki shouted as the enemy divided too, two following after Kallen and one after Strayed due to the Sutherland being so heavily damaged.

"We'll make do with the bombs we brought to destroy this place in an emergency." Zero replied urgently. "Ohgi, take half of them and ten members of your choice, you'll be backing up Kallen. Set a trap on right section of the last corridor and have Kallen lead the enemy there."

"Understood." The black haired man nodded and picked Yamato and Tamaki, along with a few of his more trusted members of the group. "We'll leave Strayed to you."

"Let's go then." Zero commanded his group as they all got on the move, Setsuko and Shinn were flanking the masked man as he opened his communication line with the Lynx. "Strayed, lead him to the far end and stall for time, can you do it?"

"With one arm tied to my back… Oh, wait, I have no arm to tie." The Lynx replied, dry humor dripping from every word as was usual when he was between a rock and a hard place. "Hurry it up unless you want a bullet ridden corpse inside a black and white tin can for supper, boss."

"Even in this sort of situation he tries to be funny." Zero grumbled much to the surprise of his followers, who were not used to seeing that sort of behavior. "Try to survive as long as you can, we'll get there soon."

By the time they got there, the Sutherland was pinned against a wall, rendering the ejection system useless, and about to be stabbed by the KnightPolice's knife. Only a last moment maneuver from Strayed, one many would have thought impossible and that was done out of sheer desperation, got him out of the pinch just in time for the Black Knights to do their job.

The black and white Sutherland ejected its remaining arm violently, sending it towards the KnightPolice Frame and distracting the pilot long enough to throw a low kick to its legs and causing to fall unceremoniously on the hard floor. Strayed moved away from its downed opponent as Lelouch issued his orders.

"Throw the explosives!" Zero commanded, and the magnetized bombs attached to the white unit, all of them connected by a black cable to a detonator Zero carried in his hand. "Goodbye, scum." He stated before pressing it, causing the Frame to go up in flames.

"How's Kallen?" Strayed asked over the line after a second.

"Ohgi and the others are going to use the same method against the enemies pursuing her." Zero replied through the line. "We're going to reinforce them just in case it doesn't work out as well."

* * *

Kallen was having difficulties to do anything but run, especially because in the heat of the moment she had ended up grabbing her mother with her free arm and carried her along. Having lost one arm she couldn't even use the second rifle she carried on the Knightmare's waist, and the KnightPolice units were getting closer with each passing second.

"Why?!" She shouted as she kept changing opinion over and over in a manner that would make Tamaki jealous. "Why can't I just throw you away?! Why can't I get rid of you?!"

"Naoto…" Her mother muttered, still under the effects of the drug. "You're such a good boy, mother's proud of you, but you have to look after your sister better."

"Please let him go, mother." Kallen cried as she was fired upon and lost her extra rifle due to a few stray bullets hitting it and detaching it from its position. "My brother's dead! Let him rest in peace!"

"Kallen!" Ohgi's voice reached her through the com line. "Move here, we'll take care of these guys." When he heard no reply from the redhead he added. "Zero's orders."

"Got it." She muttered still in tears and did as told.

The wild chase continued until she reached where she was told to be, a dead end. She was cornered like a rat. But as soon as the two KnightPolice units appeared at the other end of the corridor, a mighty explosion erupted under their feet, engulfing them both.

"We got'em! I knew it would work!" Tamaki shouted as he jumped around victoriously, only to be shut up by one of the units being still functional, albeit charred and burnt. "I knew it was too easy! We should have thought better!" He spat in disgust.

The Black Knights had no choice but to take cover when the enemy unit opened fire on them, fortunately none of them were hit. Ohgi soon opened the radio line and contacted Zero, briefing him on the situation.

"Strayed's on the way." The leader replied with strain in his voice, the sort of strain someone who had run a marathon would display, but none of them had run so much so it was probably his imagination. "What about Q-1?"

"She's protecting a civilian from… Oh, God!" Ohgi's eyes snapped wide open as he recognized who that woman was. "Her mother?"

"Come on, run!" Kallen commanded as she covered the woman as best she could. She had finally realized that she cared about her too much to just let her die here. "Get away! Save yourself!"

"I'm here for you." Her mother started, looking at the Knightmare's camera as if she could tell her daughter was there. "I'm here for you Kallen. I have always been and always will be there for you, no matter what happens."

"Don't tell me…" She cried again, tears running down her face. "The reason you stayed in that house, the reason you never left… was me?" The look on the woman's face was all the confirmation she needed. "You fool!" The KnightPolice unit ran out of bullets and decided that he could risk going in for the kill with the knife. It was about to stab the red Glasgow in the back when, in a surprising display of skill, Kallen used one of the legs to block the attack. "No… I've finally realized that I was the fool." She stated as she shot her Harkens at a nearby wall, a wall with a hole big enough for her unit to go through, but not her unwanted passenger trying to kill her, and pulled herself towards it at maximum speed.

The impact totaled the KnightPolice Frame's cockpit, instantly killing the pilot, whoever it was, just as Strayed made his arrival. The Lynx was out of his frame and running towards the Glasgow faster than anyone would have expected, and breathed out a sigh of relief when Kallen came out of her unit alive, although the girl almost trampled him as she ran for her mother to the amusement of many.

"So that's her mother, huh?" Zero muttered as he took careful note of it.

"False tears bring pain to those around you." C.C. stated as she observed the situation, having followed Lelouch just in case he got into too much trouble and needed help. "A fake smile brings pain to oneself."

"Not the best moment for philosophizing, C.C." A cheerful voice inside her head told her and she mentally sighed, deciding to ignore it. She was not in the mood for this.

* * *

The next day, after school, Kallen sat by her mother's bed in the hospital, looking at her inexpressive face. Her mother was suffering from Refrain overdose, meaning she was in a state in which she barely noticed the world around her and couldn't speak more than a few strained words a day, if any at all. It would take her several years to recover from it, but Kallen was sure she could do it.

"You were going to be convicted for this, mother." She started as tears started flowing out of her eyes. "They were going to give you a twenty year sentence, but a friend of mine put a word for you. Turns out he pulled a couple strings and even got dad's help on it, so once you're out of this hospital you'll be free."

Her mother stayed silent, not even showing any sort of reaction that would make her think she had heard her. Still, Kallen was not going to be easily discouraged, looking back over her shoulder at the brown haired teen standing by the door, giving her silent support, she gulped and continued with determination in her voice.

"You'll see, by the time you get out of here, I'll have changed this situation." She told her, still crying. "I won't give up until we have fixed this rotten world we live in and we can be a family again."

"Hang in there." She was startled as she felt her mother's hand over her own, giving her the smallest of squeezes. "I believe in you Kallen, I believe in my little girl." Her mother's voice, despite the strain, was gentle and full of hope.

"I promise you." She replied, crying even more but this time out of happiness at seeing her mother react to her words. She barely felt how the Lynx put a hand on her shoulder, both for comfort and to show her that he was there with her, walking down that path. "I love you, mother."

There was the faintest of smiles on the woman's face when she heard it, although it didn't last long due to her condition, but it was more than enough to convey her feelings to her daughter. Both teenagers stayed until it was time for visits to leave, Kallen exited the room first once the nurse called them, but Hawk took a couple seconds to say something to her friend's mother.

"I promise I'll protect her. So recover soon, for her sake as well." He said out loud, looking at the figure in the bed, and turned to exit the room, only to stop at the faint whisper coming from the almost comatose woman.

"I leave her in your hands." Smiling at what he heard, the Lynx left the room with a look of determination in his eyes.

_'I'm not going to lose anyone I care for again.'_ The Lynx told himself, a silent promise for the future. _'Never again.'_

* * *

Inside the Throne Room of the Imperial Palace, another reunion was taking place between Aim Liared and the Emperor. Lord Liared, upon returning from his trip to Area 11, had confined himself into researching each and all appearances of the Black Titan, or Sky Ruler as Zero had called it. And as he had suspected, they were nearly the same… The black and white machine had made its debut the same day that structure, which he now knew was named Answerer, had popped into existence close to the Camelot headquarters, and its design reminded him now of a combination of several of the strange Knightmare Frame parts data they had found in the database, the part they had managed to access, of course.

"So you're saying this Sky Ruler is also of alien origin, Lord Liared?" Charles asked, curious. His conversations with the man had been getting rather interesting lately.

"Without a doubt, it took some time to confirm but its shape resembles that of some of the schematics we found on the second level of the Answerer's data." The silver haired scientist explained nervously. "Although it seems to be an amalgam of pieces instead of a fabric design."

"And how are things going with that new energy?"

"We're making progress, but not as much as we'd like." Aim replied, sighing dejectedly. "Professor Graife has spent countless nights examining what little particles we've been able to create using the most basic designs shown in the data, but we have found no way to contain the particles, much less use them as an energy source."

Professor Robert Graife was a prominent member of Camelot, a fifty year old pureblooded Britannian scientist whose only mistake, from a Britannian point of view, had been his taking a Japanese orphan as adoptive son, or grandson, it wasn't clear which one it was. Granted, it had been done a year before Britannia invaded the nation that would become Area 11 and the boy had been swiftly registered as an Honorary Britannian when that happened, but it was still a stain on an otherwise immaculate profile. The boy was also home-schooled and rarely went out so not many knew how he looked like.

"Perhaps there is a certain alloy resistant to the particles' corrosive nature." Charles commented offhandedly, sometimes a non-science related man could inspire a full-fledged investigator if he mentioned the simplest ideas.

"Hmm… You are right, Your Majesty." Aim's eyes sparked at the idea, it was so obvious he had walked over it and not even seen it, and yet it was going to be a hard task to figure it out but he had just the man for the job. "I'll have Professor Ardygun working on that tomorrow morning, he's our best researcher when it comes to alloys and metals."

Professor Blessfield Ardygun, arguably one of the most intelligent men Aim had under his command, was an outstanding expert on the making of Knightmare Frames and specialized on the materials used to make the parts. He had been the one to suggest the composition of the alloy the Lancelots had been made off as well.

However, the man also had a stain in his profile, similar to Professor Graife's in fact, he had married a Japanese woman by the name of Yumi and the pair had given birth to two daughters and one son. It was truly outstanding how a family like his had accepted it, but they apparently had. The wife had died a few years ago, but apart from the occasional bitterness nothing changed for Professor Ardygun. Besides, his daughters were highly intelligent, enough to be considered by Camelot to take in after their studies were over, and the boy showed reflexes comparable to a trained soldier at the age of fourteen, which would make him a good test pilot in the future, so they were useful to keep around.

"It was a pleasure to help you, Lord Liared." The Emperor chuckled in amusement. "Is there something else you'd need of me?"

"If I may…" A nod from the ruler was all he needed to continue taking. "The Engines and Generators inside the Answerer are all but destroyed, leaving us to guess exactly what part does a certain thing. If we had access to a working one things would be different but, right now, we can only keep on trying to replicate them to the best of our ability, so..."

"Hmmm. I will order Cornelia to capture that Sky Ruler on Area 11 if the opportunity presents itself." The giant of a man mused with a hand on his chin. "Double your efforts on cracking those computers further, I shall raise Camelot's budget to cover the expenses of that and your two additional investigations."

"I thank you, Your Majesty."

"Perhaps the Geass Order could lend you some assistance on working your way into the computers." V.V. chimed in, coming into view from the hallway that led to the Emperor's personal quarters and the door to the Sword of Akasha present in the Imperial Palace. "We've been working on a neural connection system between man and machine, the prototype is still in the works but if it proves useful, we'd provide one for you."

"I'm most grateful for your offer, Lord V.V." Aim smiled as he imagined the possibilities of said idea, it was enough to send shivers down his spine. If that was possible he could even connect himself to the well of information that was the Answerer's main computer.

Meanwhile, deep inside the Answerer, one lone computer activated on its own, as it had done for days since the Answerer had been breached and reactivated by the Camelot crew, a black screen with a white loading bar that read _"Advanced A.I. Reboot: 20% completed."_ Under that bar was a name…

"_Hustler One_".

* * *

Well, chapter's over so... how many of you were expecting that last part? Rest easy though, it's taken him almost a month to get through 20% of the reboot, Nineball is still out for a while. I hope you had fun with this chapter and please tell me what you think of what I've shown you about Hawk's past.

Also, I'm not sure if any of you are interested but, since the Eternal took a pivotal role here, I've decided to post its schematics. It's mostly a start-of-the-game NEXT so don't expect anything too impressive:

**-AC Name: **Eternal

**-Lynx:** Hawk Magnus

**-Body Parts**

Head: HD-LANCEL [Rosenthal]

Torso: CR-LANCEL [Rosenthal]

Arms: AM-LANCEL [Rosenthal]

Legs: LG-LANCEL [Rosenthal]

**-Weapons**

Right Arm: ACACIA Assault Rifle [Algebra]

Left Arm: EB-R500 Laser Blade[Rosenthal]

Backmounted: CG-R500 Chain-Gun x2 [Rosenthal]

Shoulders: SM01-SCYLLA [Interior Union]

Extra weapons: Lare Handgun x2 [Rosenthal]

**-Hardware**

Targetting system: FS-HOGIRE [Rosenthal]

Engine: GN-Hogire [Rosenthal]

Main Booster: CB-HOGIRE [Rosenthal]

Back Booster: LB-HOGIRE [Rosenthal]

A. Booster: AB-HOGIRE [Rosenthal]

Over Booster: KRB-PALLAS [Omer]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And that's that. Nothing impressive but a good starting mech in my opinion. It's obviously been given a couple more weapons than in the game due to Hawk being adopted by Rosenthal. What kind of foster father swimming in wealth wouldn't provide his adoptive son with the weaponry needed to protect his fortune and kill corporate rivals after all?

Just so you know, next chapter will take more or less the same time to be ready. Now I'm going to focus on Eternal Hawk since my publishing deadline is around the corner. Here's hoping you liked the chapter and thanks for reading. Please review, and don't flame or I'll have Hustler go on a rampage, you all know he's fond of doing that.


End file.
